Some Cameroonian boys are different from others. Some have unusual careers. Samuel Eto’o must be up there – he’s unique. Even though he started his football career as a youngster with Real Madrid, he reached the highest of highs in a shirt of their biggest rivals – Barcelona.Regarded as one of the best-ever African players, Samuel is a bit more modest than that.”I don’t know if I was the best. They say that for many others. I was just happy to play and make my own dreams come true. In Cameroon, you had to work ever so hard to achieve anything. Dreaming was expensive there.”Saturday, 15.00: (7.25) Elche (4.50) Real Madrid (1.50)After all these years, now 40-year-old pensioner, Eto’o says that he has a place in his heart for Real Madrid – despite all the insults and abuse he’s gotten over the years on his returns to Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.”I was always grateful to Real Madrid. I had to leave the club a long time ago because that was the president’s decision. But I accepted it, and I’ve still got love for the club. Now that I’m no longer playing – they even treat me well when I go there. When I was a Barcelona player – they were not so kind, but that’s understandable. Today they regret that I hadn’t played more games for Los Blancos. That’s life for you.”Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto’o in 2005 (©AFP)After leaving Madrid, he became an established La Liga striker in a shirt of Real Mallorca between 2000 and 2004. Barcelona came knocking, and he jumped on the opportunity to advance his career to a higher level. It proved a right decision as Eto’o went on to win three league titles and two titles in the Champions League in five seasons with the Camp Nou outfit.He went on to sign for Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan in 2009 and win more trophies – including another Champions League. And to this day, he cannot pick which of the UCL triumphs was his favourite.”I love them the same. It’s like mother and father – you cannot pick only one. It was Joan Laporta who brought me to Barcelona – and showed a lot of faith in me. And later with Inter, I met a man who was like a god there – president Massimo Moratti. An incredible gentleman. Both of those men were incredibly kind to me.”Samuel Eto’o: “I will always be grateful to Real Madrid, regardless of the decisions some people made. I will always carry Madrid in my heart.” pic.twitter.com/PJhbSLlVB0— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) October 29, 2021 The 118-times-capped Cameroon star played in Spain, Italy, England, Russia, Turkey and Qatar – and he still claims the best atmosphere he’d experienced is that of El Classico, the clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona.”Without a doubt – it’s the hottest fixture in the world. There are many big derbies, like Inter-Juventus or Boca-River, but no game can compare to the feeling you get when Barca and Madrid meet. It’s a matter of life and death!”Eto’o is keeping an eye on all of his former clubs. Of course, Barca are currently the most interesting – and for all the wrong reasons. The club is going through a crisis period, and their former captain Xavi is expected to steady the ship as the team’s new head coach.”Xavi is my brother and a great coach. He is a football great and the right man for the job.”
