9 - Samuel Eto'o

Luis Suarez

Luis Suarez

Member
Does anyone remember how Eto'o got along with Messi? I'm fascinated by all the relationships between the Barca players (with an emphasis on how each and every one of the Barca players gets along with Messi in particular).

Luis Suarez would appear to be Messi's best friend, even more so than Dani Alves was. I don't remember David Villa being particularly chummy with Messi. How about Ronaldinho and Eto'o?

Xavi and Iniesta were friends with Messi, but they weren't the best of friends.

As much as Neymar tried to make it seem like he and Messi were best buds, you could always tell there was a bit of tension beneath all the laughter and smiles between them.

Their friendship was not as organic and natural as the one between Suarez and Messi, for example.

I wonder how much of it has to do with the historically close ties between Uruguay and Argentina. They have many things in common in terms of history and culture.
 
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Leo_Messi

Leo_Messi

New member
Luis Suarez said:
Does anyone remember how Eto'o got along with Messi? I'm fascinated by all the relationships between the Barca players (with an emphasis on how each and every one of the Barca players gets along with Messi in particular).

Luis Suarez would appear to be Messi's best friend, even more so than Dani Alves was. I don't remember David Villa being particularly chummy with Messi. How about Ronaldinho and Eto'o?

Xavi and Iniesta were friends with Messi, but they weren't the best of friends.

As much as Neymar tried to make it seem like he and Messi were best buds, you could always tell there was a bit of tension beneath all the laughter and smiles between them.

Their friendship was not as organic and natural as the one between Suarez and Messi, for example.

I wonder how much of it has to do with the historically close ties between Uruguay and Argentina. They have many things in common in terms of history and culture.
Click to expand...

As far as I recall their relationship was good. Not sure if it was close on a personal level though. Eto'o has at least always praised Messi and openly spoken about him as the GOAT since he left the club.

Made a quick Google search in Spanish and it is fair to say that their relationship was good indeed.

https://www.marca.com/2012/12/11/futbol/equipos/barcelona/1355247164.html

Anyway thanks for reviving this thread. Eto'o is a legend and one of the best strikers of his generation. The club would be lucky to find a player like him anytime soon.
 
Alik

Alik

Moderator
I always thought Messi's best friends in football were/are Suarez, Pinto and Aguero. Of course Ronaldinho also.
 
Luis Suarez

Luis Suarez

Member
[MENTION=19517]Leo_Messi[/MENTION] [MENTION=22349]Givenchy[/MENTION] [MENTION=12859]Alik[/MENTION] [MENTION=15376]DonAK[/MENTION]

Cheers fellas. I've always loved Eto'o and what he meant for us. Would have liked him to stay on post 2009 but i don't suppose Messi had as much clout back then as he does now.

I'm not alone in thinking that if Eto'o had stayed we would have won three Champions League titles in a row.

Suarez can be considered the new and improved Eto'o, but Eto'o will always have a special place in my heart.

The following are my favourite Barca players of them all, in no particular order: Xavi, Eto'o, Dani Alves, Messi and Suarez. Jordi Alba may well get into this exclusive club too :) Love the attacking fullbacks.

Iniesta was amazing, of course, but if I had to choose between him and Xavi there's no comparison. I really miss the passes/through balls/assists that Xavi used to make so effortlessly. Nowadays it's mostly Messi even attempting them (in a different manner from Xavi, obviously).

I think it's meant to be that Xavi will manage Barca some day. Very much looking forward to that. People always say that Puyol was the heart and soul of Barca but for me it's always been Xavi. He encapsulates the Barca philosophy and DNA.

I wasn't able to watch much of Ronaldinho so only know of his relationship vis a vis Messi from old videos. He's great but pales in significance to Messi.

Yes, the club will have to find a replacement for Suarez pretty soon. There's a lack of truly quality #9 strikers/forwards out there.

I also love how confrontational Eto'o was with Madrid players and supporters :)

Check out these 2 excellent videos featuring Eto'o. Watch them in sequence, the first one 1st, then the 2nd (ignore the titles, I think they mislabeled the videos).

Switch the audio to English if you want.

Eto'o: "I'm not a man that promises 50 goals but if I have to run like a black man so that I can live like a white man then I'm definitely going to run."

And run he did. A true legend. The only player to win two trebles in a row.

https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/videos/776561/samuel-etoo-the-indomitable-lion-part-2

https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/videos/776542/etoo-el-lleo-indomable-capitol-2
 
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Luis Suarez

Luis Suarez

Member
Leo_Messi said:
Eto'o was/is one of my all-time favorites. I loved his personality on the football pitch. Vocal, always fighting, a never-die attitude, not backing off from anything etc. I could identify with that attitude when I played football in my younger years (I was an attacker as well). Loved his passion basically. Those are pretty awesome attributes when you have the talent that Eto'o had, the eye for goal, technique and pace.
Basically close to being the perfect package and one of the most accomplished players in club football in history and one of the most underrated players out there as well. I like Guardiola a lot as a manager and I will forever be thankful for his contribution to the club as a player and manager but Pep selling Eto'o in favor of Ibra will always be a big black spot in my eyes. It was even more painful considering that Eto'o helped kick us out of the CL-semifinal the season after and most absurdly ending up wining another treble. To date the only footballer who has won 2 consecutive trebles. For 2 different clubs moreover.

Quite intelligent as well and his interviews were/are always entertaining as he is never bullshitting. A legend. As good as Luis Suárez (similar player and personality actually, probably why I like Suárez a lot as well) has been, I will always have a slight preference for Eto'o.

BTW, coincidently I read an interview with him in the Spanish press (Marca, If I recall) where he talked about his wish to succeed as a manager in Europe and that there are too few Black managers out there. Would be epic to see him as our manager one day if he succeeds.


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Thanks for that. Powerful: the single best word to describe him.

Please note that I edited my links above.

Here's the excellent Eto'o documentary, to be watched in order (ignore the titles, they mislabeled them):

1) https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/videos/776561/samuel-etoo-the-indomitable-lion-part-2

2) https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/videos/776542/etoo-el-lleo-indomable-capitol-2
 
khaled_a_d

khaled_a_d

Senior Member
Alik said:
I always thought Messi's best friends in football were/are Suarez, Pinto and Aguero. Of course Ronaldinho also.
Click to expand...

Cesc is very close to him too, their wives are kind of bff too. I think Ronaldinho was like Deco, the kind of "old friend" you respect and loves to see from time to time.
 
DonAK

DonAK

President of FC Barcelona
khaled_a_d said:
Cesc is very close to him too, their wives are kind of bff too. I think Ronaldinho was like Deco, the kind of "old friend" you respect and loves to see from time to time.
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I think Cesc is his best friend. They always go on vacations together.
 
Alik

Alik

Moderator
khaled_a_d said:
Cesc is very close to him too, their wives are kind of bff too. I think Ronaldinho was like Deco, the kind of "old friend" you respect and loves to see from time to time.
Click to expand...

True! I forgot about Cesc. Yeah, agreed regarding Ronaldinho.
 
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