This is KING Samwel Etoo, the King of African football, the King of Champions league, the King of La Liga and the King of Italian Football. Utampenda.
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By Adam Scime
The saying "all good things must come to an end" applies to football as well and Samuel Eto'o's move to Anzhi Makhachkala is certainly a fitting example of the old adage.
The 30-year-old is more than just a goalscorer - he is a proven winner - and during his two seasons with the Italian club, the Nerazzurri claimed an impressive six trophies with Eto'o establishing himself as a true hero in matches both big and small.
By Adam Scime
The saying "all good things must come to an end" applies to football as well and Samuel Eto'o's move to Anzhi Makhachkala is certainly a fitting example of the old adage.
The 30-year-old is more than just a goalscorer - he is a proven winner - and during his two seasons with the Italian club, the Nerazzurri claimed an impressive six trophies with Eto'o establishing himself as a true hero in matches both big and small.
| STATISTICS | Samuel Eto'o (Inter) |
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Honours: Champions League 2009-10, Serie A 2009-10, Coppa Italia 2009-10, 2010-11, Supercoppa Italiana 2010, Club World Cup 2010 |
| Appearances | Goals | Goals per match | Assists |
| 101 | 53 | 0.52 | 22 |
At Inter, Eto'o enhanced his reputation as one of the most prolific goalscorers in the current footballing era, and while his move to Russia may have been based upon Massimo Moratti's desire to meet the impending Financial Fair Play requirements, the simple fact is that Eto'o had nothing left to prove at the club.
Goal.com counts down the reigning African Footballer of the Year's top moments in the black-and-blue stripes, in chronological order.
| ARRIVAL FROM BARCELONA |
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In one of the most blockbuster transfer deals in the history of football, star strikers Eto'o and Zlatan Ibrahimovic swapped clubs in July 2009.
Barcelona paid approximately €46 million plus the Cameroon international (valued around €20m) for the towering Sweden international, but it certainly ended up more beneficial for the Nerazzurri. In retrospect, club president Massimo Moratti once described the deal by saying: "I'm not sure if the deal that brought Eto'o to the club was my best piece of transfer business ever, but I really think it was a great piece of business for us. Eto'o is fantastic."
Barcelona paid approximately €46 million plus the Cameroon international (valued around €20m) for the towering Sweden international, but it certainly ended up more beneficial for the Nerazzurri. In retrospect, club president Massimo Moratti once described the deal by saying: "I'm not sure if the deal that brought Eto'o to the club was my best piece of transfer business ever, but I really think it was a great piece of business for us. Eto'o is fantastic."
| KNOCKING CHELSEA OUT OF THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE |
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Believe it or not, Eto'o went through a bit of a dry spell during his first season with Inter, being played in a supporting role rather than as a pure striker due to the impressive form of team-mate Diego Milito.
However, he popped up in emphatic fashion at Stamford Bridge on the big stage of the Champions League, racing onto a lofted pass from Wesley Sneijder and pounding the ball into the net late in the second-half to ensure a 1-0 win and a place in the last eight of Europe's grandest competition.
However, he popped up in emphatic fashion at Stamford Bridge on the big stage of the Champions League, racing onto a lofted pass from Wesley Sneijder and pounding the ball into the net late in the second-half to ensure a 1-0 win and a place in the last eight of Europe's grandest competition.
| TIRELESS WORKER AGAINST BARCELONA |
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Having already contributed to Inter's 3-1 win in the first leg over Champions League holders Barcelona with some expert attacking play, Eto'o put all personal glory aside to dig in his heels in the second leg at Camp Nou.
Thiago Motta's sending-off meant the Italian side were reduced to 10 men and they spent over half the match holding off the firepower of the Catalans - with Eto'o proving to be a real workhorse on the flank. Featuring as a midfielder-cum-pseudo left-back, he endlessly harried the opposition as Inter went on to dethrone the mighty Spanish giants, winning the semi-final 3-2 on aggregate.
Thiago Motta's sending-off meant the Italian side were reduced to 10 men and they spent over half the match holding off the firepower of the Catalans - with Eto'o proving to be a real workhorse on the flank. Featuring as a midfielder-cum-pseudo left-back, he endlessly harried the opposition as Inter went on to dethrone the mighty Spanish giants, winning the semi-final 3-2 on aggregate.
| A CONSECUTIVE TREBLE |
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Eto'o claimed his third Champions League title and second successive treble by helping Inter to a straight-forward 2-0 win over Bayern Munich at the Santiago Bernabeu in May 2010.
Though he was not a goal-scorer that day, a feat that would have made him the only player to score in three Champions League finals, his efforts brought him another treble, repeating the trophy haul he earned with Barcelona just 12 months earlier.
Though he was not a goal-scorer that day, a feat that would have made him the only player to score in three Champions League finals, his efforts brought him another treble, repeating the trophy haul he earned with Barcelona just 12 months earlier.
| SUPERCOPPA ITALIANA BRACE |
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Rafael Benitez's tenure in charge of the 18-time domestic league winners was not entirely fruitless, but their reliance on Eto'o at the start of the season was indeed immense.
This was evident as early as the Supercoppa Italiana, when they recovered from 1-0 down to defeat Roma, with Eto'o suberly converting two second-half strikes from close range after Goran Pandev had equalised at San Siro.
This was evident as early as the Supercoppa Italiana, when they recovered from 1-0 down to defeat Roma, with Eto'o suberly converting two second-half strikes from close range after Goran Pandev had equalised at San Siro.
| HAT-TRICK AGAINST WERDER BREMEN |
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Perhaps one of the most dominant performances of the entire 2010-11 European season came when Inter thrashed the Bundesliga club 4-0 in the group stages of the Champions League, and it was simply an Eto'o show.
The Germans had no answer for the rapid, tricky, and devastatingly clinical African star - who bagged an impressive hat-trick and also set up Wesley Sneijder's chip over the goalkeeper. For all three of his goals, the former Real Mallorca star made perfectly timed runs straight through the defence before slotting home.
The Germans had no answer for the rapid, tricky, and devastatingly clinical African star - who bagged an impressive hat-trick and also set up Wesley Sneijder's chip over the goalkeeper. For all three of his goals, the former Real Mallorca star made perfectly timed runs straight through the defence before slotting home.
| CLUB WORLD CUP TRIUMPH |
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Having been crowned European champions the previous season, Inter had the chance to feature at the Fifa Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and Eto'o played a major role in the Italians winning the tournament for the first time in their history.
Playing against African representatives TP Mazembe in the final, Eto'o did not spare the side from his home continent as he set up Pandev's opener with a flicked through ball before volleying home the second himself from the edge of the area in a 3-0 win.
Playing against African representatives TP Mazembe in the final, Eto'o did not spare the side from his home continent as he set up Pandev's opener with a flicked through ball before volleying home the second himself from the edge of the area in a 3-0 win.
| TORMENTING BOLOGNA |
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Leonardo's presence on the Inter bench saw the team's attacking displays improve significantly in 2011, and Eto'o was in a rich vein of form during the winter months.
In a 4-1 thrashing of Bologna during January's Serie A action, the ex-Barcelona star's feet seemed to dance through the match, leading to two majestic goals and an assist for Dejan Stankovic. The first of his strikes was a perfectly executed give-and-go with Milito, and he also placed a textbook set-piece over the wall and into the top corner to round off the scoreline.
In a 4-1 thrashing of Bologna during January's Serie A action, the ex-Barcelona star's feet seemed to dance through the match, leading to two majestic goals and an assist for Dejan Stankovic. The first of his strikes was a perfectly executed give-and-go with Milito, and he also placed a textbook set-piece over the wall and into the top corner to round off the scoreline.
| VIRTUOSO PERFORMANCE AGAINST BAYERN |
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Inter's attempted defence of the Champions League title was far from convincing, but with the magic of Samuel Eto'o they did manage to pull a rabbit out of the hat in the Round of 16 against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Eto'o proved the scourge of the Bavarians, striking within just four minutes to throw the tie in the balance. Bayern seemingly took a stranglehold on proceedings by scoring two more, but the second half saw the three-time World Cup participant once again prove his pedigree as he first assisted Sneijder's leveller before setting up a last-minute winner from Pandev after dribbling past the Bayern defence.
Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Eto'o proved the scourge of the Bavarians, striking within just four minutes to throw the tie in the balance. Bayern seemingly took a stranglehold on proceedings by scoring two more, but the second half saw the three-time World Cup participant once again prove his pedigree as he first assisted Sneijder's leveller before setting up a last-minute winner from Pandev after dribbling past the Bayern defence.
| COPPA ITALIA HEROICS AGAINST PALERMO |
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Despite not reaching the heights of the last few years and giving up their Serie A title to rivals AC Milan, Eto'o ensured that the Coppa Italia remained in his club's possession with a clinical brace against Palermo in a 3-1 final victory.
Perhaps it was not one of his greatest performances of all time, but it was vintage Eto'o as he scored two almost identical goals, latching onto defence-splitting passes from his Dutch team-mate Sneijder before finishing with typical ease to earn Inter their third cup victory of the season, with five goals from the Cameroonian in these finals.
Perhaps it was not one of his greatest performances of all time, but it was vintage Eto'o as he scored two almost identical goals, latching onto defence-splitting passes from his Dutch team-mate Sneijder before finishing with typical ease to earn Inter their third cup victory of the season, with five goals from the Cameroonian in these finals.
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