Celebrating a league title should be a career highlight for any professional footballer… but maybe not for Alex Song.
It has just passed eight years to the day since Barcelona won a 22nd LaLiga title, a triumph that was made more special given manager Tito Vilanova and Eric Abidal had faced their own battles with cancer.
AFP
Usually, it is the captain who lifts the trophy and in this case it would have been Carles Puyol.
However, unselfishly, Puyol wanted Vilanova and Abidal to be the first people to lift the LaLiga title.
With Vilanova waiting in front of his players, Puyol, who had the trophy in his hand, signalled to Abidal to join his manager.
Next to Abidal was Song, who thought the Spaniard was seeking him out instead!
AFP
And in a very awkward exchange, Puyol stopped Song from advancing any further and led Abidal out.
Song had started 17 out of a possible 38 LaLiga games in the 2012/13 season and must have thought Puyol was going to thank him while handing over the title… but he was very, very wrong.
Eventually, Song did get his hands on the trophy, but it was after Vilanova and Abidal lifted it.
AFP
Abidal had recovered from liver cancer, while Vilanova had returned to the dugout after having a tumour in his throat removed.
While Abidal fully recovered from cancer, Vilanova died from the illness in 2014.
Meanwhile, Song spent another season at Barcelona, before spending two campaigns with West Ham on loan.
He officially left the LaLiga giants to join Rubin Kazan on a free transfer in 2016 and now plies his trade for AS Arta Solar in Djibouti.
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