Messi and Abidal situation to be appeased by Bartomeu
The Barcelona president is not planning on dismissing his sporting director in the short term, but instead will look to push reconciliation between the pair.
Josep Maria Bartomeu, president of FC Barcelona, has no intention, at least for now, of dismissing Eric Abidal as the club's sporting director. Talk of such a decision came following Abidal's statements on the team dressing room, comments that had been rebuked by club star, Lionel Messi.
Abidal not to be fired immediately
Bartomeu's plan, rather than sack the former French player, is to relieve the tensions that exist between the two parties. This is according to news outlets Esport3 and Sport, who say it's now all about reconciliation to remove any talk of crisis at the Catalan club.
On Sunday, Bartomeu had met with Abidal to reaffirm his his position at the club, although his later statements in an interview with Sport newspaper seemed to have changed the situation.
However, as the club looks to find an emergency signing of a striker, after Dembélé's most recent setback, Abidal is seen as the man to arrange it. In the medium term, however, AS sources close to the situation believe that the Frenchman will not continue at the Camp Nou next season.