Barcelona player Samuel Eto'o gave an interview to French sports site Sportweek.
When invited by Sportweek to put together an ideal team that didn't include French players, French national team coach Raymond Domenech chose you as centre forward, together with Wayne Rooney. Does that kind of recognition means something to you?
It's of course a great honour if someone like Raymond Domenech, who knows the game of football and what he's talking about, names me in that kind of things. It's an enormous recognition but I don't conclude from that that I'm the best striker in the world. I'm Samuel Eto'o and each day that goes by, I do everything to reach the highest possible. That's all.
You sometimes say that France and Cameroon have a similar place in your heart. Where does this love for France come from?
Where I live, in Cameroon, France is considered an ideal place. There's more, when a player leaves the country for example to go and play in Italy, people say that he leaves "for France". As if France and Europe are the same thing. The language of course plays an important part in this. As I'm concerned, France even means a little more.
Explain that to us...
I arrived in France when I was an adolescent. I participated in a youth tournament in Avignon and I took advantage of it to join an aunt who lived in the Paris region. I stayed a few months with her, in Bobigny.
That was a happy period in your life?
Not really. I didn't have the right documents. I couldn't live and move freely. And football, that meant everything to me, didn't bring me anything good either. I tried to present myself at a draft organised by Paris Saint-Germain, but since I didn't have documents, I was refused at the gate. I was also refused by le Havre and I think I also went to Cannes, but it didn't work out. After nine months, I returned to Cameroon.
You blame France that they didn't received you well?
How could I blame France? I didn't have documents. There are rules in France and they are made to be respected. No, honestly, I don't have any regrets. If my fate would have turned in another direction then, I maybe would have become a Frenchman, and I maybe would have played in the team of Raymond Domenech. Or maybe not.
From the team of Barcelona, people first think about Leo Messi or, over the last years, Ronaldinho. You feel underestimated in France?
I don't think so. And even if that would be the case, that in fact would be a good thing. I spend a lot of time in Paris, I have an apartment there, I have family there and my wife and my children lived there for quite a while before they joined me in Barcelona... In Paris, I can breathe normally. I can walk on the streets without being recognized the whole time. In Barcelona, that's impossible.
You plan to end your career with a French club?
I've already said that if that would be the case, I would like to play at Olympique Marseille. But I don't think it will happen. In contrast, I wish to end my career at Mallorca, where everything started for me. It's there where I launched my career and where I took one of the most important decisions in my life. After having gained some fame there, I could choose between going to England, to Italy, returning to Real Madrid or joining Barcelona. I didn't make a mistake. But I didn't only make excellent decisions in my life...
What's the baddest decision you've ever made?
That has to do with my private life.
Your contract with Barcelona expires in 2010. Are you on the verge of taking a difficult decision: staying with Barça or leaving the club, maybe this year already?
No, that's easy. I actually already made my decision. But I cannot tell anything at this moment.
In general, when one talks like this in February, that's because there's already a deal on a transfer...
That's what you say.
Could Karim Benzema join Barcelona next season to, who knows, replace you?
Benzema is one of those players who can play at every club in the world. So why not Barça? But we also could play together...
This was the first part of this interview. You can read the second part of the interview here in the coming days, with Eto'o talking -among other things- about Olympique Lyon, the next oppnent in the Champiosn League, and about his mobile phone collection.
Read more:
Eto'o wants to negotiate renewal in the summer
Benzema not a transfer target anymore
Eto'o: "Every goal gives you more confidence"
Monday, 16 February 2009
Eto'o: "I already made a decision on my future"
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17 comments:
how suspicious...
how bad??? why does he wanna give this suspense to all the fans when he has already taken the decision??? spit it out soon Samuel...
It's negotiations tactics... No one lays his cards ont he table where the opponent can see them.
He has decided to stay. etoo has said many times he wants to stay. he loves barcelona, he fought to stay here last summer. It makes absolutely no sense to leave at this point.
i've read the entire interview and beleive me he's gonna say something in the next parts that's going to piss u all off but im not going to spiol it by telling u what it is .
you'll have to wait for the other parts.
I think he has decided to leave actually. And I can't say that im surprised, concidering his schitzofrenic nature. And maybe it would be for the better. Often relationships has expiration dates. And it is better to break up before it goes sour and remain friends than pushing it into frustration and, in extension, hate.
If he leaves, I would understand him. The way he was treated last summer was unworthy. Guardiola saw in the end he was wrong but it could be too late.
Yes, he definitely seems like a person who knows how to hold a grudge! Sometimes justified...
Whatever he does, he'll always be a Barça legend. As always, the recognition will come in a few years...
hamad_ali, u have really got me intrigued now.
But we also could play together...
great samu stays thats what i wanted to hear,he has made his mind and he said that about benzema thats it for me.
If he want to go away the doors are always open-for all players who doesn't wont to play for Barca. Eto will "cray" a lot when he will join another club in somer because he will be just a shadow of barca eto-like all other players who left.
And I even think that we could get better striker than etoo.
But Etoo will always stay a Barca legend.
I read the last part aswell. At least the one on the danish barca site.
I can follow what he says since he is not from la masia. Anyways i think too that it is annoying to launch such comments at the during time in the season. But i too understand if it has something to do with his contract. Negotiations etc.
It could be a part of putting pressure on the board so he could get a better contract. That would mean in the long run he stays until 30-31 and then moves to Mallorca. And that he would like to play with Benze after this summer maybe. In Barca of course. Since Henry probably will be offloaded.
This is at least my point of view.
everyone talks about if eto'o leaves we should get benzema, what about keirrison? he's younger than benzema and SPORT just had something about him saying his dream is to play for barcelona. he's about the same height as benzema but probably alittle faster, and as well a great finisher for being so young. not to mention he would cost much less!
I would argue that Eto'o hasn't said anything out of line with these statements. Football is not an ideal world and as such, not all footballers will love the badge with the loyalty that homegrown players do. One thing that amazes me is the amount of effort and work this man, Samuel Eto'o, puts in to a club that he did not grow up with and does not love in the sense of feeling attached to it.
Samuel seems to me a man of integrity and honor, and he feels the need to speak the truth. He is not a mercenary, but he says things as they are. He is not badmouthing Barcelona with his comment, he is simply showing us his true relationship with the club. As fans, we cannot expect him to grow up loving Barcelona in Cameroon and somehow have his dream come true years later, it is much too fairy tale.
He respects the Barça shirt, that does not mean he needs to wear it because journalists ask him to. The fact remains that Mallorca gave him his chance, Barça saw what a player he was because of Mallorca, and much of the money he has made and been able to give back to his country and other struggling people is because Mallorca took a chance on him.
Eto'o is a man of integrity, and I hope he will remain with Barcelona for years to come. 39 goals in his last 39 league games (last season included) is more consistency than any striker in Europe's top clubs can boast.
His asking price has gone from 7.5 million euros to 9. I don't think we could get a better striker or fit than Eto'o. Don't pay him 9, but a deal should be struck somewhere between 7 and 8.
I just hope he stays. He reminds of "The Black Pantha" whom I am sure you all know.
Visca el Barca!
I wish for Eto'o to stay. That he isnt mentioning other offers like someone in the midst of negotiations would gives me hope. But lets wait for the rest of his interview. As for the money, why shouldnt we put him on par with Messi? He has been equally important for us this ssn and for him to be working his butt off after effectively being told we dont need you only shows Eto'o's commitment to this team. He's a proud guy and there's no player whose loyalty has been severely tested but Eto'o faced all the doubts and proved himself well so I say to Barca give this player the respect he deserves.
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