Eto'o To Uzbekistan?

[Lemmy]

FC Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o said he was "happy to have set a record" after two goals against Sudan made him the top scorer in African Cup of Nations history.

Last eight
The Cameroon international scored twice in a 3-0 win against Sudan to take his total for the current tournament to five and surpass Ivorian international Laurent Pokou's 1970 record of 14 finals goals. His 27th-minute penalty moved him on to 15 goals before a late second took him to 16 and confirmed his nation's place in the last eight in Ghana.

'The first step'
"We have taken the first step but now we have to think about the quarter-finals," said the 26-year-old, who has scored five goals in six league games for Barça this season and also found the target in his only 2007/08 UEFA Champions League appearance to date. "I'm happy to have set a record of course but the important thing is to win and try to reach the final which won't be easy."

Promising sign
The Douala-born player has had a troubled campaign after suffering a cartilage injury during a pre-season friendly game against FC Internazionale Milano. However, his current form augurs well as the Catalan side prepare for their UEFA Champions League knockout stage tie against Celtic FC next month.

uefa.com*-*UEFA Champions League*-*News & Features*-*News specific

[Pat Murphy]

Total legend Eto'o is. We're seeing how important he is to the team again now as I think we've only got about 5 goals in the last 6-7 matches, it's low whatever the stat is.

[Pat Murphy]

14 in 14

Samuel Eto'o’s two goals scored away at Recreativo on Saturday means that he now has 14 in the League from the 14 games he’s played in. It’s the best strike rate of his career.

Always ready, always going for goal. And the numbers don’t lie. They are extraordinary. 14 goals in 14 games. 1 goal every 83 minutes.

The number of goals the Cameroon striker has in the League would be higher than the total achieved by Seville’s Luis Fabiano (23 goals) if it weren’t for the injury he picked up in the pre-season Gamper Trophy and playing in the African Cup of Nations. In fact he has the best strike rate (goals scored per minute) of his career.

The first goals

After 3 months on the sidelines with a muscle injury in his right leg, Eto'o returned to the team in the starting XI on 9 December last year in the Camp Nou against Deportivo de la Coruña. He was soon back among the goals, scoring twice in a memorable first half in the next game away at Valencia.

After the African Cup of Nations

Rijkaard lost him for a month to the African Cup of Nations but Eto’o left his mark before leaving with two strikes against Murcia. In just 5 League matches he had already scored 5 times.

Eto'o was back with the squad for matchday 25 in the League after losing the final of the tournament against Egypt. He got straight back to work, scoring his second hat-trick as a Barça player against Levante in the Camp Nou.

Recent performances

Eto’o has scored 5 goals in the last 7 League games and now has a total of 14. His two strikes in Huelva have made him into the fifth highest scorer in the competition and that’s after playing in only 14 games. A really amazing record.

fcbarcelona.com

FCBarcelona.cat


Eto'o is a sensation. 14 goals in 14 games this season after coming back in January from a 4 month injury and then leaving for the African Cup of Nations where he was top scorer with 5 goals and then coming back and playing on the RW a lot. Despite all this he still has 14 goals in 14 games and a goal every 83 minutes. Best striker in the world.

Here's that magic goal vs Recre that gave him his 14th goal in 14 games this season.

TalkSoccer Media Player

[Pat Murphy]

Eto'o Continues To Make History

Barcelona’s less than perfect season will hardly get them into the record books, but Samuel Eto’o keeps making history.

The Cameroon striker’s appearance against Espanyol in the Catalan derby on Saturday night means he equals former Cameroon and Espanyol goalkeeper Thomas N’Kono's record.

N’kono played 241 games in the Primera Division and now Eto’o has matched that record which may be broken if the striker starts for the Blaugrana next week against Deportivo.

Eto’o made his debut in La Liga with Real Madrid and since then he has gone on to play for Espanyol, Real Mallorca and then he was signed by Barcelona in 2004.

This season the Cameroon star has scored 14 times for his club which takes his total tally in La Liga to 130 goals in 241 games which is an incredible strike rate.

His best season was during 2005/06 when he got on the score sheet on no less than 26 times.

N’Kono played for Espanyol from 1982-1989 and he was considered to be one of the best goalkeepers in Spain at the time and he caught the eye during his appearances for Cameroon in the 1982 World Cup in Spain.

Salvatore Landolina - Goal.com

Goal.com - Barcelona - Eto'o Continues To Make History

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Eto'o in Barca quit shock

SAMUEL ETO’O has dropped a bombshell — by threatening to quit Barcelona.

The superstar striker has grown frustrated by the Catalan giants’ poor results this season.

Another year of underachievement was underlined by Saturday’s 0-0 draw against old rivals Espanyol at the Nou Camp.

And Eto’o said: “If next year we continue like that, I will leave.

"I want to win titles and if I can’t do it here then it will be in another club.

“But in Spain my cycle has finished. I have touched the ceiling in Barcelona so if I leave I will go abroad. I will go to whoever pays the most.”

That announcement, ahead of Barca’s Champions League semi-final clash with Manchester United on Wednesday, will put Chelsea on red alert as they have long wanted the Cameroon superstar. Eto’o has a point.

The creaking Catalans have won just one out of EIGHT games in La Liga and have not scored at home in three. They are third in La Liga, 11 points behind Real Madrid.

Add the sad saga involving their greatest player, Ronaldinho, looking to leave and the angry mob calling for president Joan Laporta’s head and you have an explosive mix.

Insecurity and uncertainty surround the famous Nou Camp. And midfield maestro Andres Iniesta admitted yesterday that defeat to United would be a horror show.

He said: “Losing to United could be a disaster and a massive disappointment.”

Yet Eto’o openly disagreed with his team-mate and insisted Barcelona WILL dump United out of Europe.

He said: “Andres had his reasons to say it but I don’t think that it would be a disaster to lose against United. We’re not at that stage and I am sure we will win and go through to the final in Moscow.”

Eto’o is puzzled by star-studded Barca’s frustrating season but warned they will be up for the game against United.

He added: “What has caused this dip in form? I ask myself that question. Football reflects life. Sometimes things happen to you that you cannot explain.

“With all the players we have we draw or lose some games without understanding why. There is no explanation.

“In the Champions League, though, we feel well. We’re just three games away from being able to lift the trophy with the big ears.

“It’s the game of the season for us. United are favourites but we must prove we’re better than them. We will not be lacking desire or character.”

There is one source of optimism for Barcelona — the return of Argie ace Leo Messi. Eto’o added: “We have recovered a key player in Messi but he alone cannot win the game. All of us must play well.

“We don’t fear United. We have respect for them — as I hope they do for us.

“Before any other team our problem is Barca itself. If we play at our level we will give them problems. We’re in the semi-finals of the Champions League and there’s no bigger motivation than that.”

Striker Eidur Gudjohnsen claimed United are SCARED of Barcelona.

The former Chelsea hitman also revealed he snubbed a move to Old Trafford when he left Stamford Bridge for the Catalan capital.

Gudjohnsen, 29, said: “I wanted to be facing United because they are a team that always wants to play football and leaves more open spaces to their opponent than others.

“Liverpool or Chelsea, for example, are stronger physically and without as much quality but they play defensively, are compact and leave no space. I prefer one of them in the final.

“But Manchester know our quality and are afraid of us.

“I think they will be two good games for football in general because both teams have a high level.”

Bizarrely, the Iceland ace also took a swipe at Old Trafford’s nickname.

He added: “Old Trafford is a big stadium and a good one — but to call it the Theatre of Dreams, maybe it’s a bit exaggerated.

“Before I came to Barca, United were interested in signing me on a couple of occasions.

“It’s a great honour that Alex Ferguson wanted me because he’s a living legend, someone special who’s done incredible things. But when they told me Barcelona were interested in me they were always my first option.”

Source: The Sun

[Pat Murphy]

Eto'o: I Have Never Said I Would Leave

Samuel Eto'o has denied that he ever threatened to leave Barcelona if the club fail to win anything and that he has no plans to leave Camp Nou, but if he ever did he would never rejoin Real Madrid.

The Cameroonian striker was quoted as saying that if he could not win trophies with the Blaugrana then he would have to look for a team where he could, but he now claimed that the report was a lie.

Instead, Eto'o has stated that he will definitely still be at Barça next term, but if the team win nothing this year or next then he hinted that he would probably have to leave because the club would sell him.

"All this fuss has surprised me. I want to make it clear that I have never threatened to leave Barcelona. This all lies," he explained.

The Cameroon international back-tracked from his comments about contemplating a move abroad if the club did not win next season, insisting it was just an honest response to a question that was not a threat of any kind.

"I have always been honest and I will continue to be. If I do ever leave Barça I would not play for any other Spanish team except for Mallorca. I could never play for Real Madrid.

"What I want is to continue winning thins. If we do not win anything this year or next year then that will be three years without winning anything and it will be difficult to stay and face the fans."

Eto'o has one ambition next season and that is to stay injury free after he has endured serious blows in at the beginning of this campaign and the last one.

"Next year I will be with Barcelona. I hope to be able to start next season at my best and hope that I will not have any injuries like the last two seasons. The injuries have certainly impeded me," he added.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Goal.com - Barcelona - Eto'o: I Have Never Said I Would Leave


He's basically said the same thing again but less extreme this time.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

I hope he never ends up at Man U.

[Pat Murphy]

Barça Set €40m Price For Eto'o

FC Barcelona have apparently begun hawking Samuel Eto'o across Europe, with a price tag of €40m attached to the Cameroonian hero...

Marca controversially claims that one of FCB's biggest motivations for selling the Cameroonian is cold, hard cash. The blaugrana are apparently hurting for money this summer and a bumper transfer fee for one of their prized assets would lessen the pinch considerably.

To this end they have allegedly already begun hawking the striker across Europe for €40m. Although this price may fluctuate over the course of the summer, Eto'o's prestige is such that he will be expected to command a hefty fee, and one far greater than he would next year when he'll have just one year of contract remaining.

However, it remains to be seen whether or not Samuel is himself open to the idea of a move. While he is clearly angry at Barcelona's regression and at reports of his so-called "deliberate" booking to miss the recent Real Madrid game, he may well seek to remain and see out at least one more year of his deal.

On the flip side, such pressures could see him opt to leave early. Sources indicate that Samuel is aware of a smear campaign against him in the press - possibly instigated by agents within Camp Nou - and this could potentially prove to be too much to bear.

It must be pointed out that the above rumours have been published in Marca, which is at least nominally a pro-Real Madrid paper and not one known for its Barcelona leanings. The idea that at least some of these ideas are on flimsy foundations must not be discounted. Nevertheless, rumours have emerged that the player is eager to move to England...

Target Acquired

In any case, though, certain clubs are already thought to be treating the sitaution seriously. Juande Ramos, former Sevilla boss, is said to be eager to bring the hitman to Tottenham Hotspur, with chairman Daniel Levy apparently poised to make a move.

In Italy, Inter could place a bid depending on how Sunday's Scudetto decider goes - should they lose out, the task of replacing coach Roberto Mancini will surely take precedence. Over at AC Milan - who are also close to landing Samuel's fellow Barcelona star, Ronaldinho - the race for fourth place will go a long way towards deciding the size of the summer war-chest.

Eto'o, 27, arrived at Barça from Mallorca back in 2004. He has managed 16 Liga goals this season despite enduring an injury-hit campaign and a recent lean spell.

Goal.com

Goal.com - Barcelona - Barça Set €40m Price For Eto'o


I don't want him to go personally. Whoever comes in to replace him won't be better than him.

Only decent options are Benzema who has the potential to be or Villa who is only a bit less rated.

[Pat Murphy]

Journalist: Eto'o Headbutted Me

Sport.es recounts the tale of a Cameroonian journalist who claimed that Samuel Eto'o headbutted him...

Eto'o is currently in his home country on national team duty for a match against Cape Verde.

Tensions were running high at the pseudo press conference on Friday, during which journalists asked no questions as a form of protest about their being excluded from a closed training session earlier.

Allegedly, Eto'o responded to the situation by hurling insults, and he then approached a private radio journalist named Phillipe Bony. Then he headbutted Bony, making him bleed.

As Bony himself put it, "He grabbed me, and hit me with his head on my uppet lip - now I have a loose tooth."

Cameroon boss otto Pfister made good his escape through a service door, meanwhile, and apparently other Cameroonian players confiscated cameras that would have shown the incident.

Steve Michaels, Goal.com

Goal.com - Barcelona - Journalist: Eto'o Headbutted Me


Not sure who to believe yet as I haven't heard anything from Sammy but I think the journalist has obviously gone too far in his description of events.

[Pat Murphy]

Milan Tempt Eto'o With Personal Terms

AC Milan have told Samuel Eto'o that he can earn a total of €9m-per-season over four years with them if Barcelona lower their asking price of around €40m

The Italian giants are still keen to fend off interest from Chelsea and Inter and land the Cameroonian striker and hope that by letting him know what is on offer, the situation could change.

Eto'o has always maintained that his first choice is to remain at Camp Nou, but has yet to sit down with new coach Pep Guardiola and hear his plans for the new season.

Barcelona are not desperate to off-load him, despite reports to the contrary, and have slapped a prohibitive asking price on the player's head in order to ward clubs off.

The €40m valuation has proved to be a major stumbling block so far and Milan are determined to bargain with Barça to bring it down to somewhere close to their current €25m offer.

Reports in the two Barça-biased dailies continue to link the club with a range of strikers to replace Eto'o, but the club has neither confirmed nor denied that there will be a new arrival.

The fact that the press stated recently that the club would make three new signings before the referendum on the board's future and none of them were strikers makes the current flurry of stories surprising.

Daniel Alves and Martín Cáceres have signed while talks are ongoing to secure the services of Aleksandr Hleb, with Anderson Hernanes as back-up should that deal not work out.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Goal.com - Barcelona - Milan Tempt Eto'o With Personal Terms


Anything less than €40m and I wouldn't sell and I'd only sell then if he really wanted to leave.

[Pat Murphy]

Well Pep said at his press conference that he doesn't count on Eto'o so Eto'o will leave Barcelona.

Milan, Inter, Chelsea are front runners for his signature. Let the bidding war commence.

[Pat Murphy]

Eto'o Heading To Uzbekistan?

Barcelona star Samuel Eto'o has been audaciously linked with Uzbekistani outfit Kuruvchi, but the Catalan club have already moved to deny any such deal...

The Cameroon international - who started his professional career at Real Madrid - rose to stardom with Barcelona as a crucial piece in the 2006 Champions League winning side.

However, injuries and the slow decline of a golden era in Catalonia has led to major players heading for the exit door, with Deco already at Chelsea, Ronaldinho poised for Milan and Eto'o expected to follow.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Milan, Inter and even Liverpool have all been linked with the hit-man, but it appears that no offers have been made nor any interest made concrete.

There remains an outside possibility the 27-year-old will head to Arsenal as part of a swap deal involving Emmanuel Adebayor, and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's fondness of Barcelona's players could well lead him to making a move for the man ex-Blues boss Jose Mourinho had his eye on in 2006, when the Russian instead brought in Milan's Andriy Shevchenko.

There remains an outside possibility Mourinho may still link up with Eto'o, a player he has publicly praised on more than one occasion, at his new club Internazionale, though the conventional wisdom remains that they have more than enough firepower up front. Their city rivals Milan, meanwhile, have their sights set on Eto'o's Barcelona team-mate Ronaldinho, and will not have the financial clout to bring in another big name.

So just where will he end up? Uzbek team Kuruvchi's sporting director, Bahtier Babayev, audaciously claimed the former Real Mallorca man would be signing a contract this week, adding that a good relationship between the clubs proved decisive.

"Eto'o will arrive in Tashkent on Thursday and will sign a contract up until at least the end of the year," he declared.

"The length of the contract will depend on our performance in the AFC Champions League. We will play Saipa in the quarter-finals and Eto'o is our primary before the knockout stage of the tournament.

"Then if we can agree with the player, he may continue to play for our club after.

"The deciding factor in negotiations was not money, but the good relationship between the management of our club and Barcelona. The personal friendship between club presidents lowered the player's price."

However, an official Barcelona spokesperson has moved to deny any possibility of a transfer: "Nobody at the club knows anything about this. I don't think it's very likely."

Fernando Montabon, Goal.com

Goal.com - Barcelona - Eto'o Heading To Uzbekistan?


They have also announced that they hope to sign Xavi in the next 4 days. Along with Iniesta and then Puyol afterwards

Definately a publicity stunt.

[Trim]

Uzbekistan? He should come to Kosovo!

Nah, seriously, I was kinda surprised to read the headline. I thought he was going to join them for some matches or something, but for good? Haha, they've got to be kidding.