Eto’o Samuel is one of the most famous African footballers. He is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Turkish club Antalyaspor and formerly for the Cameroonian national team. He is known for being an extremely fast, energetic, strong and powerful forward who is usually preferred to his comrades for his stamina, work rate and precise finishing in the air and with his feet. He is also a highly skilled soccer player and a prolific goalscorer. The above facts are some of the things that made Eto’o famous, but there are many more that you never knew about this legendary soccer player that are quite fascinating and interesting.
Here are 10 things you should definitely know about Samuel Eto’o:
Samuel Eto’o Biography
He was born Samuel Eto’o Fils on March 10, 1981 in Doualla, Cameroon. He joined Kadji Sports Academy at the age of 11. He trained there from 1992 to 1996, then transferred to a French football club but was turned down due to his young age and lack of identification. He instead moved to Real Madrid, where he completed his teenage career the following year. He was nicknamed “Little Milla” in his youth because of his talent in soccer. The name is also linked to the fact that he admired legendary soccer player Roger Milla so much and once threw his shirts into the crowd during a childhood game.
football career
Samuel Eto’o has been a professional footballer since 1997 for 18 years. Real Madrid was the first club he played for (1997 to 2000) but has been loaned out to several clubs throughout the period. In total he has played for 11 different clubs and the Cameroonian national team. The clubs include Real Madrid, Espanyol, Leganes, Mallorca, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Anzhi Makhachkala, Everton, Sampodria, Antalyaspor one after the other.
Fortune, wealth
When Eto’o started out as a soccer player, he was paid $200 a week, to the amazement of his father, who never knew you could make so much just playing soccer. In 2011, Eto’o became Anzhi Makhachkala FC’s highest-paid football star with an annual salary of €20 million. His current net worth is a whopping $80 million.
Career Achievements
. The former Chelsea player is the most successful African footballer of all time, having won the African Player of the Year award four times: 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2010.
. He finished third in the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2005. One of football’s deadliest strikers, Eto’o won the 2006 Pichichi trophy as the league’s top scorer and beat all his opponents at the 2006 and 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.
. Eto’o has scored over 100 goals in five seasons with Barcelona and two consecutive hat-tricks for different clubs – for Barcelona in 2010 and for Inter Milan in 2011.
. In 2010, he became the first player to win two trebles on the European continent after his performances at Barcelona and Inter Milan. He is the second player in history to score in two UEFA Champions League finals and the fourth player after Marcel Desailly, Paulo Sousa and Gerard Piqué to win the trophy two years in a row with different teams.
. The Konyaspor forward is one of just three players to have played for Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan. The other two are Luis Figo and Brazilian legend Ronaldo.
. With 56 goals from 118 internationals, he is Cameroon’s top scorer and third-best player.
. He announced his retirement from international football on August 27, 2014 and has an ambition to one day coach the Cameroon team.
family, woman
Eto’o has two brothers, David and Étienne, are also building their careers in football. He married his longtime sweetheart Georgette on July 6, 2007 and has four children, Maelle, Étienne, Siena and Lynn.
Relationship with Georgette
Eto’o beat his longtime partner and mother of his children, Georgette Tra Lou, with a diamond ring valued at €500,000 in July 2014. The couple are traditionally married and have been together for a decade, but decided to have another and grander ceremony at the church in Stezzano, Milan. Georgette is also considered one of the most beautiful wives of an athlete on the African continent.
experience racism
Eto’o was severely threatened by racial discrimination. Here, among other things, is one of his stories about a typical experience, which he shared in an interview with CNN. He says he’s witnessed racism on and off the pitch, most famously during his time at Barcelona. In 2006, during a game against Real Zaragoza, Eto’o was met with ‘monkey chants’ – and the striker nearly left the field. He says it was only because of his teammate Fran’s persuasion that he stayed on and helped his side to a 2-0 win.
He believes there has been progress within the game in recent years and has decided it is safe enough for his children to return to the stadiums. In 2007, he said he didn’t want his children to see him booed and racially abused.
Other services
In 2006 he founded The Samuel Eto’o, a foundation dedicated to helping poor and disadvantaged people, particularly Africans, make it through in life. The aim of the non-profit organization is to protect children and young people, provide emergency relief and promote education, basic health and social inclusion for the disadvantaged to help them create opportunities for the future. He then founded a football academy in 2006 called the Samuel Eto’o Laikipia Unity Football Academy, a center for school and environmental education.
Samuel Eto’o has written nine different graphic novels about his life. His target audience is mainly children, who he wants to build dreams of because they are the future leaders.
Eto’o is a fashion brand that combines shirts, hats and sneakers in a premium clothing line for a global audience. The brand is called “Samuel Eto’o 9” and the focus of the clothing line is on men’s clothing. The clothes are designed and manufactured in Turkey. A first batch was produced and launched on the local market in February.
He also owns a mobile phone company called “Eto’o Telecom” which operates in Cameroon with the aim of providing job and business opportunities to local people and encouraging other footballers and wealthy Cameroonians abroad to come home and invest.