In 2012, Dani Alves offered a part of his liver to his teammate Eric Abidal
Football has always been more than merely a sport. It is about loyalty, respect, determination, hard work and above all, the friendship that the players share inside the dressing room. It is also about rivalry, but that rivalry is solely for the 90 minutes when the game is on. Once the game is over, the heart is turned off and the participants turn into friends again. Probably this is the reason, football is the most loved and watched game in the world. The values and emotions that are noticed on and off the pitch in the world of football are rare in other sports. Over the years, the beautiful game has given birth to many tales of friendship and brotherhood. In this feature, we recall the day when Dani Alves made us fall in love with him with a special gesture.
The year was 2012 when Barcelona had French player Eric Abidal in the team. Those were the glory days of Barcelona as the club was in an incredible form. Therefore, Eric Abidal was having the time of his life in Barcelona with numerous wins and trophies. Off the pitch, he and all the Barcelona players were enjoying a gala time. However, the euphoria was short-lived for Abidal as his doctors advised him, he required a liver transplant.
For Eric Abidal, the world fell apart in the wink of an eye. Although he had fortunes, locating a liver for a transplant was not a simple task. That’s when Brazilian defender and Barcelona teammate Dani Alves rose to the occasion. Dani Alves offered a part of his liver to Abidal; a gesture that spun him into a hero in the eyes of the world. After the incident, Abidal spoke to the Daily Mail and said, “My Barcelona teammate Dani Alves offered me his liver. He was serious, but I could never have accepted it. He also has a family and a career. It is a massive operation, and it was too much.”
Abidal did not accept the gesture as he found another donor on time. The donor was none other than his cousin Gerard. After the operation, Abidal stayed away from the game for over a year. Later, he went on to play for AS Monaco in the French Ligue.
