[Sport] International Soccer Eto'o: "I would always ask Messi who he wants on the team"

[Dr.Drako]

Samuel Eto'o (Douala, Cameroon, 1981) is considered by many to be the best African player in history. He grew up in Madrid (1997), but triumphed at Barça -campéon de Europa 2006 and 2009- and at Inter -2010-. Now he lives relaxed with his family between Qatar and Milan, waiting to define his future. Were you able to visit the new stadium finished in Doha, the Education City? I did visit it under construction, but finished, no, because of the pandemic. We have been home for a long time. Only with the photos that I have been able to see, it makes me want to put my boots back on and think about playing [laughs]. Of course, I also say that I can not stand even five minutes in my garden. So to enjoy and be there as a fan. Will it be the best World Cup in terms of facilities? At the infrastructure level, it will be rehostia [sic]. Many have criticized Qatar but I believe that this 2022 World Cup will be the best ever organized in the next 50 or 100 years. I think that those who will live this moment will never witness something like this again. In Spain it will fall in winter. Do you encourage Spaniards to travel ... if we qualify? They have to come. I don't think this moment will ever come back again in their lives. Football returns in Spain. How do you see the end of LaLiga? As always: if Barça wins, everything is fine for me. I know there will be a match soon between Mallorca and Barcelona, my two teams from the heart. I will not be able to live it in the stadium, but I will be there on television to support both of them. You are a culé raised as a Real Madrid player, right? I have no problem with Real Madrid. They gave me the opportunity to dream of being a footballer. I did not have the opportunity to play for Madrid. I had success elsewhere and the culé feeling came to me. I thank everyone who helped me to have that feeling, and I do not forget the five or six years I spent in Barcelona.

The first two or three years of our Barça we played soccer like on the PlayStation. We were a group of friends who wanted to be together to have a good time on and off the field. When you have such a team, with the quality we had, success was assured. When will you return to Barcelona and in what capacity? The dream is to return, but right now I have just finished my degree and I am enjoying a long vacation with the family, in addition to preparing my future life. Where do you think he will start as a coach? I don't think about what I'm going to do a year from now. I only think about tomorrow, about helping my daughter finish her homework because I haven't always had the chance to do it. Now I have disconnected a bit and I focus on my family. So I calmly prepare myself for that next life. Do you think that current Barça is too dependent on Leo Messi? It is normal. Leo is the best player in the world and the best of all time. I would always make the team asking Messi who he wants to have by his side, in his team. Every team in the world wants a Messi, then you have to give it wickerwork. He can't run like a 25-year-old kid anymore, even if he keeps doing it sometimes. What we Catalans have to do is give him the best team in the world so that he continues to make us enjoy. I feel sorry for him, but we will never let him go or rest. He has to play until he is 70 years old to make us enjoy more. Have you ever said that you are in love with the 'Pep trainer', but not so much with the 'Pep person'. What did you mean? What I said I keep ... and I'm not the only one who said it. My experience with Pep at Barça was what it was, but personally it was not what we would have expected. And many players have said the same about him. As a coach, Pep prepares the games like no one else. How he trained us in 2009 was incredible. His way of seeing football, attack, control, having the ball, the balls ... Pep was the best at it. As a player, you had the feeling that you did not run much, even if you did, because you were enjoying yourself. They are private technicians for whom we love good football. For me, football is sitting like in a theater, and watching the 'tikitaka', passing the ball ... It is not the only way to win, but this is special. It was Pep.P. Do you think Xavi should sign for Barça now? I already told Xavi recently: 'You have to go back to Barça when Leo is still there', because everything will be easier with him. Xavi is one of those natural leaders who knows how to manage emotions, and, besides, he is a very good boy. He is face to face, he understands football, and I insisted to him: 'Machine, you have to go back and try to do something with Messi still there.' He always said that Iniesta was the best he played with. What made you more angry, not winning the Ballon d'Or or not giving it to Andrés? I have never been angry about not winning the Ball, because it is a matter of people's opinions. Of course, I was disappointed to know that Andrés never took him. 

Edited June 11, 2020 by Dr.Drako