Eric Abidal bid an emotional farewell to Barcelona on Saturday and says that he will always have the club in his heart.
The 33-year-old made a cameo appearance in place of Gerrard Pique in their 4-1 win over Malalga after confirming earlier this week that he would be leaving in the summer.
After the game, he took a lap around the stadium to acknowledge the supporters and admits that he has had an amazing time at the club.
"I want to thank all of you for the support all those years. They have been six incredible years, and many thanks to the Catalan people," Abidal told reporters.
"I will always carry you in my heart. Now I want to invite my cousin, Gerard, to receive your applause, he deserves it more than I do."
Barca coach Tito Vilanova admitted that it was a difficult decision on whether or not to renew the player's contract.
"The only thing I can say is that it was a tough one. It hurt us to take it. We won't find a player like him so easily," the Spaniard confirmed earlier on Saturday.
"We talked about it many times and in the end we came to the conclusion that we came to. I really hope that he can go to another club and show that he can still play at a high level. We hold him in high esteem."
