Cameroon star Samuel Eto’o just cannot stop scoring for his Spanish club Barcelona. The reigning African Player of the Year has got eight goals in nine league outings for the club to top the Spanish first division scoring charts. He has also found the net twice in the European Champions League. His second on Tuesday was against AC Milan and helped Barca beat the Italians champions and set them up for a place in the last 16 of Europe’s top club competition.
However, the Cameroon star is still not satisfied: « I know I can do better, because if I don’t improve then the coaches will give me a double session of training every day. »
« I’m not going to say how many goals I’m going to get this season but I know in my heart how many I am capable of.
« What I do say is that, one day Ronaldinho and I are really going to cause some big trouble.
« Then we will really have the public jumping and shouting about Barca. »
Eto’o has been accused of being selfish in front of goal but it is a charge he strongly denies.
« Some people think I am playing to the gallery, and maybe I do give them that feeling, but it is not the case in reality.
« The only thing I am thinking of when the ball comes into the area is how to get it into the net.
« Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn’t. »
Indeed he has scored some spectacular goals including his most recent one against AC Milan as he found the net from a narrow angle out on the right hand edge of the box.
« Brilliant, he was a nightmare every single minute for the Milan defence, » eulogised the Barcelona-based Spanish sports daily El Mundo Deportivo the day after the game.
The next important date in the diary of Samuel Eto’o is Barca’s game against bitter rivals Real Madrid in front of his home fans in the 98,000-capacity Nou Camp stadium on 20 November.
« It would be wonderful to score against Real in the Nou Camp.
« They discovered me, and I have much to be grateful to the club for, but they caused a soap opera with my transfer to Barca this summer.
« This Barca team is starting to become better and better, even though there are so many different nationalities in the dressing room.
« This could be the team’s year, and my year, to do something special, » reflected Eto’o.
By Phil Minshull BBC Sport, Spain
