Samuel Eto´o, the indomitable cameroonian lion

Last update 16 March, 2022 por Alberto Llopis

Few players have had the personality and drive of Samuel Eto´o. Born in Nkongsamba (Camerún) en 1981, He started his career in Spanish football very young., with the help of Real Madrid Castilla, subsidiary of the white team, although it would be transferred to Leganés, where he started playing his first games. after the season 97/98 would debut with Real Madrid, but his time with those from the capital would be almost anecdotal, with another assignment, this time to RCD Español.

His time at Mallorca amazed the League

It would not be until he landed in Mallorca that the legend of this African would begin., who would become one of the most dangerous forwards in Spanish football. Desde 1999 hasta 2004 would contribute 70 goals to the island team. His enormous speed and self-confidence, added to the winning character that would infect the team, revolutionized those from Son Moix and led them to win a Copa del Rey in 2003. That personality also caused him to have his pluses and minuses with the coach. Luís Aragones: a finales del 2000 They were on the verge of coming to blows in a match against Zaragoza in which the Cameroonian was substituted. Sin embargo, Samuel has nothing but good words about the man who was his “Mister”, whom he admired with devotion.

Fue, precisamente, “The Wise Man of Hortaleza”, who will drive Eto´o to take the step and go to FC Barcelona, the great rival of what was his first team. It would be in 2004 and there it would remain 5 seasons, donde marcaría 152 goles that would support the 3 Suspenders, 2 Spanish Super Cups and a Copa del Rey, in addition to the acclaimed 2 Champions Leagues. During his stay at Barça, He became “Pichichi” of the League, in addition to many other international distinctions, such as UEFA Forward of the Year. He also obtained Spanish nationality in 2007. And he became one of the greatest scorers in the club's history..

His great stage: el FC Barcelona

His contemporaneity with the great passers in the history of Barça, as Iniesta or Xavi, They did nothing but magnify his history and his status as a “killer” in the area.. Both players always had exceptional vision of the game., which helped take advantage of the Cameroonian's depth, who never lacked a sense of goal. It is logical that Xavi Hernández, With that vision he ended up as coach of the Barça club; and although his start as a coach raised some doubts, After the latest results, Barça's situation is improving significantly, something that is reflected so much in sports betting as in the spirit of the culé fan. Eto'o shared great plays with both him and the man from La Mancha, and of course with another “short crazy guy”: Lionel Messi.

The arrival of Pep Guardiola to the Barcelona team would mark Samuel's last season in the entity. En 2009 He would go to Inter Milan in an operation that included the arrival at the Camp Nou of another pure forward, Zlatan Ibrahimović. The Cameroonian would score 53 goals with the Italians and would add another Champions League to his record, plus a FIFA Club World Cup; not counting several national league titles. After his time at Inter, I would go to the Russian league, where he would become the highest paid player in the world; but after a little more 2 seasons, I would return to an entity team: Chelsea of ​​the English league. Sin embargo, His time at that club was rather discreet and he would play only 35 parties, although I would note 12 goles. He continued in the English league with a brief stay at Everton; but then ended up in different clubs in Italy, Türkiye and Qatar, until his withdrawal came in 2019.

A star who created fans

His strong and, sometimes controversial, character, as well as its long decline before withdrawal, They cannot tarnish the legacy of this great forward who knew, beyond scoring goals, unbalance their opponents and exhaust them physically and psychologically in many decisive matches. Es one of the best African players ever, in addition to having managed to be the only player on the continent to have participated in 4 Different World Cups and being the top scorer in the history of his National Team. Its emergence was in Mallorca, But his time at FC Barcelona created the legend and gave the team one of its best periods in history., where he became an icon of fans, who saw how their idol had turned his back on Madrid to win everything with the “culés”.