There are times in life when an incident takes place which lifts your belief in humanity to a higher level – and thankfully, for all of its ultra professionalism, it can still happen in football. Despite the anguish that every Manchester United supporter must have felt at the defeat by Barcelona at Wembley, they would have also been impressed by the heart warming gesture of the Catalan hard as nails captain Carles Puyol in handing his armband to team mate France international Eric Abidal which allowed him to be the first to lift the trophy. It was a gesture which must have warmed the hearts of both United and all football fans.
For those who are not aware of the background to all this, Abidal was in the middle of his best ever season for Barcelona, filling in seamlessly as center half in the absence of Puyol, and his imperious showings got better and better with every match. In fact his match winner sent his side through in the Copa at the expense of Athletic Bilbao.
Then, as can sometimes cruelly happen in all walks of life, tragedy struck. The whole ordeal started back in March when Abidal was diagnosed with a liver tumor. Barca fans feared the worst – would he return to football? Would he even survive? Questions that make you shudder, questions that should never cross one’s mind. As news broke out that surgery was successful, the football world breathed a collective sigh of relief. Abidal’s health was no longer in doubt so the Catalan fans began to wonder when the Frenchman would be back in action. The most widely accepted belief at the time was that Abidal was fine, he would return to football but not at least until the new season. But the Frenchman would have none of it.
In a bid to prove his fitness, Abidal was determined to start in all three games previous to the Wembley final but still the media thought that he was only ready for a place on the bench. Against all the odds, he won his personal battle, got into the starting eleven, then put on a great performance as Antonio Valencia was dominated. Valencia himself had made a brave comeback from a career threatening injury back in September but managed to force his way back into Ferguson’s preferred line up.
It leads me to ask the question as to whether captain Nemanja Vidic would have done the same for Valencia had United been successful. We will obviously never know but it would be nice to think that the big defender would have at least considered it.
Were you as impressed as I was by the Barcelona captain’s gesture?
Coming back from cancer and coming back from a broken leg can’t even be compared. If anyone should have been handed the armband it was van der Sar.
MES QUE UN CLUB
More Than a Club
You have a very short memory, not so long back when Robbo was club Captain, and Bruce was vice Captain United had won the FA cup, Bruce beckoned to Robson to be first up to collect it, Robbo refused saying “it’s your turn now, my time is over”. A very similar situation.
Then before that there was Arthur Albiston offering his FA Cup winners medal to our regular left back ( his name escapes me), because Arthur only played in the final.
So these acts do exist in the United family.
The Abidal situation was totally different, whilst Valencia’s injury was career threatening, Abidals was life threatening, which makes it a totally different scenario.
So no I don’t think Vidic would have done the same.
what a pointless article.
As Sapper alluded to….
Cancer of the liver….Broken leg?? Totally different. Next piece of bored journalism please.
Possibly the most ridiculous article I’ve ever read. Comparing Cancer to a football injury. Why was this even posted, have you nothing better to do than come up with completely pointless what if’s?
What the heck does this have to do with Vidic and Valencia anyway? What a stupid piece of writing!
wtf thats stupid, Abidal had a cancer in his liver, totally different to valencias injury
All fair comments folks. Just wanted to raise the question for your opinions.
Oh shut the f**k up about barcelona,,sick shit of them.It`s over move on.And tell them their spanish and get over it
Why are you so angry Mark? This was never about Barcelona but only about a gesture which hit a chord with many football fans!
this issu is non starter. Please let our boys have a successful holiday. Even if i were vida, i wouldn’t hand it over to him.
The point of this article just seems to be to have a go at United. Valencia’s injury was not a matter of life and death. I don’t remember thinking at any point that he would not recover from it, though I did not think that he would come back so well before the end of the season. Are you trying to say that there is no compassion or team spirit at United? If so, why so?
I agree with Borealis – Van der Sar whould have been the one to lift it had we won it. As for the discussion – would Vidic have done the same for Valencia? Who knows – completety different scenarios. Not sure about the purpose of the piece to be honest – bit of an article about nothing really Frank!
Come on Jumping Jesus, you REALLY are jumping to conclusions from great heights when you ask “Are you trying to say that there is no compassion or team spirit at United?” You’re not even remotely close mate! Remember that Valencia suffered his injury during United’s first Champions League game of the campaign and yes, it COULD have ended his career – even if only mentally rather than physically. The article does not suggest that Vidic was EXPECTED to make the gesture had United won, it was just a thought as to whether he would have considered it which would have been absolutely magnanimous on his part.
A little bit of over reaction here, questions like this always arise during the summer when there is very little other news around, blog and website admin have an awful time trying to keep content fresh and moving, so we try to stimulate debate with articles like this, I should know I’m trying to do exactly the same on my forum.
If you’re stuck for debate Frank write a piece about Sneijder – 175,000 a week? lot of money, does he fit the system? Would he be the next Veron? Would Modric be a better option? Far more interesting debate than Vidic/Valencia lifting a cup we didn’t win.
Think the issue here is that obviously Valencia didnt have a life threatening injury unlike Abidal and made his comeback well before the champions league final unlike Abidal who was only just starting to play again. I think had Utd won Van der Sar will have been the player to lift the trophy but whether Vidic wouldve stepped aside not sure but id like to think so.
I think the comments slating this article need to calm down no need to take that stance
That was the best moment of the night…totally agree Frank. That was beyond football.
Sneijder is a non runner murty,He`s another footballer lead by a wag!!!.She wants to move to london instead.Apparently its nicer there.
lol abidal had cancer …it can’t even be compared to abroken leg..there have been plenty of occassions in which players with broken leg came back and there has hardly been a single case of someone giving the armband to them because of that…one of the rare armand cases was the eduardo case
Just a dig at United. even more recent. 2008, Gary Neville was injured and had been for some time, Giggs had taken over the captaincy. Giggs waited until the last moment then ran off so Neville would lift the trophy.
It was the same when city took an ex player up for the fa cup and every said only they would do that. Not like we took Bobby Charlton up in 2008 to collect the European Trophy with the players or contually get soldiers to carry out the Premier League trophy for us. Something Fergie had to fight to be allowed in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011, even so far as telling the fa that we woul dnot recieve the trophy this year unless the injured lad brought the trophy out