Monaco left-back Eric Abidal has insisted that he might never have left Barcelona if Pep Guardiola had stayed at the club.

Abidal was allowed to leave the Catalan giants in the summer following the end of his contract, with the Frenchman claiming that it was the club's decision, not his, to leave.

"The problem was that I was out of contract," Abidal told L'Equipe. "In these cases, your contract is either renewed or it ends. I was prepared for both scenarios.

"It was tough to accept but you don't have a choice. What was difficult to understand was what Barcelona said during my final press conference. By suggesting it was a career choice, that made other clubs doubt [my motives].

"It was not even about money, the proof being that every month I was ill the club didn't pay me. Certainly [things would have been different had Guardiola stayed]."

Abidal played for Barca for six years.