After Cameroon secured their passage to next year’s World Cup last weekend with a 2-0 win over Morocco, Eto’o made good on a promise to give every member of the squad a £30k watch.
Getting a Cameroon call-up is an extra-special affair, considering the striker has a history of giving things away to his fellow countrymen. Four years ago Samuel shelled out £60k after promising the squad two grand each should they beat Ivory Coast in n upcoming match.
His charity doesn’t stop at fellow pros though. According to Football Italia:
Eto’o is not shy of making a bet, as long as the proceeds go to charity. Three years ago, he did a deal with Ford whereby they would send an ambulance to Cameroon for every goal he scored above a certain quota.
He is now in the process of recycling Europe’s unwanted shoes, installing special bins in Spanish department store El Corte Ingles where people can donate them to charity.
Whose dugout would you like to see the Portugeezer rock up in?
Over the weekend Jose Mourinho took a break from bullying football’s favourite pensioner and being told what to do by Samuel Eto’o, to confirm what we all already knew - he wants a Premier League comeback sooner rather than later:
I love Inter and would love to build for the future here. In fact, I am doing it now because I am not a selfish coach and I’m thinking about the future in terms of youth development and the age structure of my first team.
But Italy is not the country for this. England is the country — and my football is English football. I am ready for the next phase of my career — I want to work with a different perspective.
For those not invited to celebrate the birthday of Robert Pires
The U17 World Cup continues at 3pm on Eurosport 2, as Italy’s nippers attempt to take revenge for 2002 and all that, by beating some South Korean children.
Three matches this evening covering a range of footballing competition. If you like your football young, catch Wales vs Scotland in the Victory Shield at 7:40pm on Sky Sports 1. If you like your football second-rate, Man United reserves try to take their own revenge against the Liverpool counterparts, MUTV from 7.
And finally, if you like your football preening, the Special One hosts Walter Zenga’s Palermo, looking to go four points clear at the top of Serie A. The game is on ESPN at 7:45.
Eight games across Europe on the gogglebox this evening, but surely none as critical as Liverpool’s home match with Lyon. Having finished third in le Championnat last season, OL are certainly are not the force they once were back in the days of Juninho, Florent Malouda and Michael Essien. Nevertheless they should have more than enough to trouble Liverpool’s back-line, with Lisandro Lopez (pictured) a particular threat. In the other Group E match, Fiorentina should just about see off Debrecen.
Home wins at the ready for Barcelona (Rubin Kazan) and Inter Milan (Dinamo Kiev) in Group F tonight, whilst Rangers must beat Unirea Urziceni to sustain their interest, at least for a few more weeks. Stuttgart vs Sevilla in that same group, should be a comfortable away win, leaving the Reds coach Markus Babbel in even more toil and trouble.
If you like to watch your contests unbalanced, whilst all the time being patronisingly told what great football you’re watching, AZ Alkmaar vs Arsenal is on Sky Sports Xtra. Olympiacos vs Standard Liege, the very definition of making up the numbers, is the final match of the night.
Cagliari’s Daniele Dessena, on loan from Sampdoria, shows once more why he is one of the brightest young things in Italian football right now, with this overhead kick against Catania.
John Goosens started his professional career with Ajax, where the famous academy obviously taught him to do things like this.
We here at thespoiler can never get enough of goalkeepers scoring goals, so we loved this one from the Portugese Cup.
Inter’s splattering of Genoa on Saturday night was unquestionably the performance of the weekend in Europe, and Dejan Stankovic’s long-range effort, probably the goal of the weekend in Europe.
The latest transfer gossip, rumours and damned lies
Maicon to Manchester United / City
Expect a lot of these over the summer. As soon as United make a move for anyone at all, City will come barging in flashing cash, purely to antagonise their neighbours.
Thespoiler truth-ometer: Both clubs need a right full-back, and Maicon is probably the best in the world right now (sorry Glen.) Another season of European failure for Inter could see one of these deals happen.
Cesc Fabregas to Real Madrid
Seething from the defeat against Seville, Madrid supremo Florentino Perez has swiftly identified the problem, and the solution - another lightweight creative midfielder. The Daily Mail no less, reports that Madrid may even make a move in January, so as to get in ahead of Barca who are unlikely to do any business before the summer.
Thespoiler truth-ometer: Cesc is a proud Catalan, and unlikely to want to join their fiercest rivals. It is also questionable whether Madrid can find the room to squeeze him in, with Diarra and Alonso having started brightly in the centre of their midfield.
Nilton to Liverpool
Having yesterday highlighted the brilliance of the young Vasco striker (see here), thespoiler is proud that Rafa Benitez has picked up the hint, and according to the Daily Mirror, is keen to bring him to Anfield in January.
Thespoiler truth-ometer: Rafa’s transfer policy is never the easiest to predict. One week its Nilton, the next Peter Shilton, the next Paris Hilton. We’re staying non-committal on this one.
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