The Cameroonian star Samuel Eto’o was left frustrated after France Football failed to recognize him as a striker but as a right-winger.
Samuel Eto’o slams France Football after the publication named him as a right-winger in its Ballon d’Or Dream Team.
Eto’o carved out a legendary career for the likes of Inter Milan, Barcelona, Chelsea, and Mallorca while he established himself as Cameroon’s all-time leading scorer and third-most capped player with 56 goals in 118 caps.
The former striker won three La Liga and two Champions League titles while with Barcelona before adding a Serie A winner’s medal and another Champions League crown after joining Inter Milan.
In total, Eto’o scored 371 goals across 764 career club appearances and was named the UEFA Team of the Year in 2005 and 2006.
However, most of Eto’o’s career achievements came while playing as a number nine, with the Cameroon star establishing himself as one of the best strikers in the sport’s history
As a result, the 39-year-old former striker says that he felt disrespected by France Football’s decision to classify him as a right-winger as part of its Ballon d’Or Dream team countdown.
“Thank you, but I played 1-2 seasons on the right (yet I have 25 years of career as a center forward),” Eto’o tweeted in response.
“The lack of respect. @francefootball WHATEVER!”
Eto’o was recognized among some of the best wingers of all time, with Lionel Messi the only current player named to the list.
Arjen Robben, Luis Figo, and David Beckham are among the more modern names on the list, with icons like George Best, Kevin Keegan, Stanley Matthews, Jairzinho and Garrincha also included.
Eto’o announced his retirement in September 2019, having most recently played for Qatar SC.
Since he left Everton, in 2015, Eto’o went on to play for Sampdoria, Konyaspor, Antalyaspor and Qatar scoring 10 goals in 23 appearances in his lone season in the Qatar Stars League.
Internationally, Eto’o won two African Cup of Nations crowns while also leading Cameroon to the Olympic Gold Medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.