BBC-Former Chelsea and Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho
believes Cameroon legend Samuel Eto’o should’ve been crowned the world’s best
player at least once.
The 38-year-old former Barcelona and Mallorca star recently retired from football.
His glittering 22-year career included winning the Africa Cup of
Nations twice and the European Champions’ League three times.
Mourinho first worked with Eto’o at Inter Milan during the 2009-2010 season where the pair won a treble securing the Serie A title, the Italian Cup and the Champions League.
The pair then teamed up at Chelsea three years later for a short
spell with mixed fortunes.
“It’s difficult to understand how Samuel Eto’o never won the
Ballon d’Or with the impressive career he had” Mourinho said in an
interview with Cameroon Radio.
“Samuel played for the best teams in the best leagues in the
world. He scored an incredible amount of goals and was successful in different leagues.
“He played three champions league finals, winning two with
Barcelona and scoring in both finals. He also won one champions league at Inter
and won many league titles.
“He was the best striker in the world for several years and I
think he deserved a Ballon d’Or but these are things out of our control.”
Samuel Eto’o won a record four African Player of the year awards,
while his best placing in now defunct Fifa’s World Player of the Year award was
third in 2005.
As well as winning the Nations Cup in 2000 and 2002 he went on to
become the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 18 goals.Cameroon’s
Samuel Eto’o was third in the 2005 Fifa World Player of the Year Award behind
England’s Frank Lampard and winner Brazil’s Ronaldinho
The former Everton and Chelsea forward is amongst a cast of
African players including Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel who
thrived under Jose Mourinho but ‘The Special One’ believes the former Cameroon
captain is unique.
“Samuel’s career was very impressive and he was one of the
best strikers in the world for many years,” Mourinho insisted.
“He’s an absolutely fantastic player and the most important
thing for a footballer is his contribution to his team for victories.
“Samuel was a great individual player but was always a team
player.
“He was always giving everything he could for his team to be
successful. He is a trophy winner. He won all the important competitions and he
had a very phenomenal career.
“He was almost an unstoppable player but his qualities as a
man at some point became more important. He was a good colleague and he could
do all for his team to win games.
“While at Inter we played Barcelona in the champions league
semi-finals, we were with 10 men and Eto’o played the entire game almost at
right back. He sacrificed himself for the team and played at the position to
ensure we win.
“That’s what the team needed at that moment. In Milan we had
won 3-1, going to Camp Nou, we didn’t need to score, we just needed to get to
the final and he understood this. He did what was necessary for the team to go
through to the final.
“These are great human qualities and I have no doubts Eto’o
will be successful after retirement.”
Samuel Eto’o for played for 13 clubs in six countries and scored
an unprecedented 56 goals in 118 appearances for Cameroon has stated that he is
taking a sabbatical from football to spend time with his family and consider
his future.
