9 - Samuel Eto'o

Leo_Messi

New member
Eto'o was/is one of my all-time favorites. I loved his personality on the football pitch. Vocal, always fighting, a never-die attitude, not backing off from anything etc. I could identify with that attitude when I played football in my younger years (I was an attacker as well). Loved his passion basically. Those are pretty awesome attributes when you have the talent that Eto'o had, the eye for goal, technique and pace.
Basically close to being the perfect package and one of the most accomplished players in club football in history and one of the most underrated players out there as well. I like Guardiola a lot as a manager and I will forever be thankful for his contribution to the club as a player and manager but Pep selling Eto'o in favor of Ibra will always be a big black spot in my eyes. It was even more painful considering that Eto'o helped kick us out of the CL-semifinal the season after and most absurdly ending up wining another treble. To date the only footballer who has won 2 consecutive trebles. For 2 different clubs moreover.

Quite intelligent as well and his interviews were/are always entertaining as he is never bullshitting. A legend. As good as Luis Suárez (similar player and personality actually, probably why I like Suárez a lot as well) has been, I will always have a slight preference for Eto'o.

Coincidently I read an interview with him in the Spanish press a few months ago where he talked about his wish to succeed as a manager in Europe and that there are too few Black managers out there. Would be epic to see him as our manager one day if he succeeds.



However it was a bit of a shame that he did not end his career at RCD Mallorca as he spoke of often in the past. Would have loved to see him end his glorious career playing for Mallorca this season and help them stay up and continue their fairytale story for the third season in a row.
 

Gari

Active member
Eto'o: 'I'll return to Barca to be the first black coach to win Champions League'"I'd like my team to play like Josep Guardiola's," he added.
 

serghei

Senior Member
Eto'o is basically the living proof that Guardiola, while a genius tactician, is a flawed manager. When you got rid of Eto'o, you basically showed as a manager that your ego is above the best interest of the club, because Eto'o tactically, did exactly what was asked for him. So, you basically didn't trade him because he didn't perform as expected, or didn't do his job, but because you didn't like him.

Still pissed off we sold Eto'o after he pretty much decided a CL final for us. You never do that.
 

DonAK

President of FC Barcelona
Eto'o is basically the living proof that Guardiola, while a genius tactician, is a flawed manager. When you got rid of Eto'o, you basically showed as a manager that your ego is above the best interest of the club, because Eto'o tactically, did exactly what was asked for him. So, you basically didn't trade him because he didn't perform as expected, or didn't do his job, but because you didn't like him.

Still pissed off we sold Eto'o after he pretty much decided a CL final for us. You never do that.

He traded Eto'o for a tall, physical, technical super man Zlatan Ibrahimovic. According to a significant part of this forum a striker like that should win us multiple CL titles.
 

Zebulun

Senior Member
Eto'o is basically the living proof that Guardiola, while a genius tactician, is a flawed manager. When you got rid of Eto'o, you basically showed as a manager that your ego is above the best interest of the club, because Eto'o tactically, did exactly what was asked for him. So, you basically didn't trade him because he didn't perform as expected, or didn't do his job, but because you didn't like him.

Still pissed off we sold Eto'o after he pretty much decided a CL final for us. You never do that.

Disagree. Eto was a wonderful player. but his personality is what got him sold. That's not unique to Guardiola though, The Great Sir Alex Ferguson did the exact same, was his way or the highway, just check on what he did to Yorke and Van Nistelrooy.
 

serghei

Senior Member
He traded Eto'o for a tall, physical, technical super man Zlatan Ibrahimovic. According to a significant part of this forum a striker like that should win us multiple CL titles.

Eto'o was the best striker in the world. There was no upgrade to him. Also, the extreme cockiness and star-like attitude of Ibrahimovic was well known.

Disagree. Eto was a wonderful player. but his personality is what got him sold. That's not unique to Guardiola though, The Great Sir Alex Ferguson did the exact same, was his way or the highway, just check on what he did to Yorke and Van Nistelrooy.

That's just not true man. Eto'o had the personality of a Barcelona legend. As a manager you have to know how to work with diverse personalities. Eto'o talked the talk, but also walked the walk. That should've made him un-transferable. When you deliver on the pitch and you prove you are essential to the team's success, that's what football is about. Eto'o was everything you want from a forward.

There's an issue when a player has a unpleasant personality, and doesn't deliver. Like say Quaresma. But Eto'o was far from that. Pep just didn't like him and didn't know how to work with him, and just allowed a key player in a sextuple season to leave just like that.

Eto'o was well liked and well respected in the squad. It was just something personal and I personally blame Pep for that more than Eto'o.
 
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