Eto'o To Uzbekistan?

[kyan]

Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o has hit out at Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard for saying he refused to play in Sunday's 2-0 win over Racing Santander.
Rijkaard claimed the 25-year-old "didn't want to" come on as a second-half substitute.

But Eto'o said: "Telling a news conference I didn't want to play is the behaviour of a bad person.

"I've always thought about the group first. If anybody has balls, they should tell it to me face-to-face."

Rijkaard had asked Eto'o, who recently returned to action after four months out with a knee injury, to come on in the closing minutes at the Nou Camp but the striker apparently rejected the request.

"Eto'o warmed up but afterwards told (assistant coach) Eusebio he did not want to come on," said Rijkaard after the game.

"I think it's a shame because every minute, every moment, can be important... I haven't spoken with him but I'm always prepared to talk to the players."

There's a division in the changing room between two clans

Samuel Eto'o

Ronaldinho was also critical of Eto'o after the game, suggesting the striker had been inconsiderate to his team-mates.

But Eto'o responded: "If a team-mate says that you must think of the team, it's up to him to think of the team. Personally I always think first about the group and then money."

Barcelona's victory over Racing Santander, thanks to two goals from Ronaldinho, saw them open up a three-point lead at the top of La Liga.

They are also through to face Liverpool in the last 16 of the Champions League, with Rijkard's side hosting the first leg on 21 February.

However, Eto'o, last season's top scorer in La Liga, said a major rift had developed at the Catalan giants.

"There's a division in the changing room between two clans: one is the president's and the other is someone else's," he said.

"This is not my war, this is a war. I'm in the middle of a war between two people and I'm the one who is taking all the punishment. But I will return and return to play."

Reports suggest the rift is between supporters of president Joan Laporta and those of former vice-president Sandro Rosell, who left the club after a disagreement with Laporta.

Laporta earlier spoke out in support of Eto'o, denying the striker had refused to play on Sunday.

"His knee needs time to warm up and he didn't have enough time. He preferred to be careful," Laporta told Spanish newspaper Marca.

"He didn't do anything inappropriate or wrong. There is no way it can be deduced that Eto'o refused to play soccer for Barcelona."

Eto'o did not attend training on Monday, choosing instead to work in the gym - apparently because of a painful knee.

BBC SPORT | Football | African | Angry Eto'o hits out at Rijkaard

wow

That probably means one of Rijkaard or Eto'o will be on their way out soon.

Doesn't sound like the relationship between Ronaldinho and Eto'o is too healthy either.

If Eto'o were to leave I reckon he'll join Arsenal, hopefully Utd can get him though! (especially IF we lose Ronaldo)

[MUFC]

Sign him up Fergie

[simaozinho200]

a quailty player like him can hit back at a manger if he chooses nessacery

[azzurri]

Meh, unless I see the video, I doubt he said that. It seems so convieniet that these comments follow a minor incident on the sidelines. Eto is crucial to Barca, and I doubt they would let something as small as this become an issue.

[Me+11]

This case i blame eto for unprofesional.. FR also wrong when he makes it public but i think it must be so much more that makes Ridjaard say such things like this.

If one of them have to go at the end of the season, i would like it be Eto. Barca have enuff money to find a new striker.. But i hope all this will end and everything will normal again. Eto and Ronaldinho should have a heart to heart talk and Eto should show more respect to Rijkaard since he is the coach and so far i think Eto is too much in his action and talking.

To solve all this:

1. Barca should win the game this weekend and win.
2. Eto apologise to FR
3. Ronnie apologise to Eto

[Sven]

Originally Posted by azzurri

Meh, unless I see the video, I doubt he said that. It seems so convieniet that these comments follow a minor incident on the sidelines. Eto is crucial to Barca, and I doubt they would let something as small as this become an issue.

ohh he said it.

Garenteed, either one of Ronaldinho , Rikjard or Etoo woun't be there next season, you thought Madraid had problems , Barce have just as many.

[kennethlindheim]

Is this getting out of hand or what?...Two camps?...What the hell?

[Pat Murphy]

The camps thing was referring to Rosell I think who is our ex-Vice President who fell out quite badly with Laporta. Rosell has a high standing with Nike in South America and was the person most at credit for signing Ronaldinho. If I had to guess at the Rosell contingent it would be Ronaldinho, the other Brazilians, Deco and possibly Messi.

Many Barca fans didn't think that one of Rijkaard/Ronnie would be here at the end of the season anyway, possibly both will leave for Milan.

This outburst isn't really anything big for me.

[Sven]

allways has been a hypoactive Child though .

TalkSoccer Media Player

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Perfect timingThis isn't abouth the knee isn't strong enough or else he wouldn't be on the bench.

[Blue Balls]

I heard Eto'o wasn't too popular with some of his teammates well before his injury. It wasn't as big a deal back then, as long as the team was winning and he was scoring. It's just all coming to a head now.

[Pat Murphy]

Originally Posted by Sven

allways has been a hypoactive Child though .

YouTube - Samuel Eto'o watching FC Barca vs Chelsea match

That's great I haven't seen that one before


Eto'o was approached again about the comments he made yesterday. He said the injustice was not in what he said but what he had been accused of. He also said that he didn't call Rijkaard a bad person and his words were twisted. He says he doesn't have a problem with anyone at Barca but insists that everything he said was the truth and others know it.





In training this morning Ronaldinho went out of his way to hug Eto'o and Eto'o returned the gesture. May have been a show for the cameras or it may be sorted.

[Trim]

Barcelona president Joan Laporta refused to comment on Samuel Etoo's inflammatory comments from this afternoon, but his former number two, Sandro Rosell spoke at length.

It all began with the "two groups" theory mooted by Etoo, something that hasn't been heard since Rossel left the club eighteen months ago.

"I do not have any idea," said a clearly amused Rosell in an interview with RAC-1. "I believe there is only one group, and that is Barcelona, so I don't know what he is talking about."

Etoo has also suggested that Rossel did not greet him during the one year that they were at Barcelona together. However, the former Barca vice-president denied the accusation

"It is the first time that I heard this," replied Rosell. "I am clearly not happy, because he says I did not greet him, which I always did.

"I will have to ask him. He says I was the one who controlled the sporting decision, which is correct, as I did. However, I allways greeted him."

Having responded to allegations, he went on to avoid further confrontation, and suggested that everyone just needed to calm down.

"He is returning from an injury. He is an exceptional player, and Barcelona need him. He is tense and has a lot of adrenaline, that's it. He just needs to calm his tone down."

He then went on to take another shot at friend turned foe Laporta: "I have head some declarations from him as well that were made in the wrong tone. They all need to calm down. We have to think about Barça. There is still a lot to play for."

Goal.com - Laporta Keeps Mum, Rosell Amused With "Two Groups" Theory

[skeeta]

It may actually have to do with the on-going battle between Laporta and the vice president who resigned last year, with Eto'o being a surrogate for Laporta. It is also possible that there is a subtext of beginning to isolate Ronaldinho in preparation for flogging him to Milan for 70 million euros.

As you can imagine, Rijkaard will be less than chuffed about this (and disappointed in Eto'o, who had seemed to be maturing a bit), though Marca and AS must think that they have just won the lottery.

I picked up a copy of the excellent So Foot that features an Eto'o interview that from what little I have read seems measured. I think that there is a significant amount of goading here by the anti-Barca press (nothing unusual there), but there does seem to be something smoldering, if not necessarily a raging fire.

I believe the situation is not as irremediable as some hacks makes it appear.

[Costinha]

He have not recover yet...why was he on the bench when he wasn't fit to play??