Samuel Eto’o’s dubious Inter Milan anecdote raises eyebrows
Samuel Eto’o, the iconic former striker and current president of the Cameroon Football Federation (Fécafoot), is known for his confidence both on and off the pitch. However, a recent anecdote shared by the football legend during an interview has sparked controversy and raised questions about its authenticity.
In a conversation with Cédric Doumbé, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Redouane Bougheraba on the ESN Media YouTube channel, Eto’o recounted a bold story from his time at Inter Milan.
He claimed that during a match, he had informed then-coach Leonardo that he needed to leave at half-time to catch a flight to Paris for a party.
Eto’o boasted that he assured Leonardo he would score three goals by the 45th minute to justify his early exit.
“At Inter, once, I had to come and party in Paris with some friends. And I said to Leonardo, who was my coach: ‘Listen Leo, Linate (Milan airport) closes at such and such a time.
By the 45th minute, I will have already scored three goals. Get on with it, you’re going to defend,'” Eto’o recounted with a grin.
“By the 38th minute, I had already scored three… At half-time, he replaced me, and I left to catch my plane.”
While the story might have made for an entertaining narrative, it was quickly called into question. Guillaume Maillard-Pacini, a journalist and Serie A expert, took to social media to express his doubts.
Maillard-Pacini stated that he had researched the incident and found no evidence to support Eto’o’s claims. According to him, there is no record of Eto’o scoring a hat-trick and being substituted at half-time during the 2010-2011 season, the only period when Leonardo was at the helm of Inter Milan.
Further scrutiny revealed that Eto’o did indeed score a hat-trick for Inter Milan, but it occurred on September 29, 2010, against Werder Bremen in the UEFA Champions League.
However, this match was under the management of Rafael Benitez, not Leonardo. As for half-time substitutions, Eto’o was taken off three times during that season, but none of those matches involved him scoring three goals.
This discrepancy has led to speculation about whether Eto’o’s story was a case of exaggerated bravado or simply a misremembered event. Regardless, it serves as a reminder that even legends can occasionally blur the lines between fact and fiction.
POUR L’AMOUR DE DIEU, ARRÊTEZ MOI ETO’O 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/hycXaZUeF0
— Alpha BALDE (@AlphaBalde91) September 5, 2024