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Claudio Ranieri hails Eric Abidal leadership in AS Monaco project

Claudio Ranieri says that Eric Abidal epitomises the spirit he wants at AS Monaco in order to become one of the giants of French football.

Claudio Ranieri has paid tribute to the impact of captain Eric Abidal since joining AS Monaco in the summer.

The Frenchman returned to his former club prior to the start of the season and is one of the oldest players in a squad that possesses a mixture of youth and experience.

Ranieri insists that this blend of players is key to helping Monaco become one of the giants in Ligue 1, and feels that Abidal is the perfect leader for the team.

"I wanted a French captain with a big personality. Abidal is fantastic," Ranieri told BeIN Sport. "He's unbelievable; he trains every time and when I say 'Ok Eric, slow down, go to the dressing room', he says 'No, no, I want to train'. He is a very good example for the rest of the players.

"Monaco is a fantastic place, for this reason. I think that our job was at the beginning, to choose the players that want to win, want to win for them, and for the club and for the project.

"That was very important at the beginning. And I think Abidal wants to win, [Ricardo] Carvalho wants to win, [Andrea] Raggi wants to win, [Jeremy] Toulalan wants to win, [Radamel] Falcao wants to win, [Joao] Moutinho too. That is important. As is transmitting this to the young people."

Monaco are third in Ligue 1 following their promotion from the second tier last term.

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Matt Cotton
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Monaco coach Claudio Ranieri during his team's Ligue 1 match against Toulouse on August 23, 2013
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1Paris Saint-GermainPSG17134046153143
2Marseille17113339201936
3MonacoMonaco1794428181031
4Nice1786335231230
5Lille1778226161029
6Lyon178452922728
7Lens177642116527
8Toulouse177371919024
9StrasbourgStrasbourg176563029123
10Auxerre176472426-222
11Brest177192630-422
12Reims175572325-220
13Angers175481927-819
14Rennes1752102325-217
15NantesNantes173772027-716
16Saint-EtienneSt Etienne1751111637-2116
17Le HavreLe Havre1740131336-2312
18Montpellier HSCMontpellier1723121642-269


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