Former Inter striker Samuel Eto’o discussed his love for Inter in an interview with Italian broadcaster Sky Sports Italia earlier this afternoon.
The 38-year-old Cameroonian spoke about what love for Italy remains within him.
“My time at Inter was good. First, I’ll say hi to everyone. I believe that what we achieved with Inter was unique and unrepeatable, but above all I am left with the fact that we all stayed in touch today, which is a rare thing.
“This means that we’ve gone far beyond the matches themselves and the fights we’ve faced together. There was something else, something more that bound us and that person was Moratti. I’ll say hi to him and thank him again. Presidents like him are missing in football today.”
Eto’o discussed the example he set on the field and how he played so hard in every game he played for Inter.
“At that moment we were also playing for the millions of Inter fans. José told us that we had to serve the team and what we had to do and what I had to do. In the end we won that game too and the gates of heaven were there.”
He revealed that there never really was a chance he’d return to Inter after leaving.
“No, not with Inter. But before I went to Samp I asked Inter but I knew it would be difficult. I’d still be able to, but it didn’t bother me.”
The former Nerazzurri and Barcelona striker spoke about what he thinks will happen in his future.
“It’s always nice to come back to Italy. Right now I’m here because with the people around me we’re thinking about an important event that I can’t share with you at the moment. But I hope that we will do something important for us and for Italy.”
Eto’o discussed how his life changed from only football to other things.
“First, I’m going back to the university in a few months, to Boston, where I’ll stay for eight months. I will prepare myself because life is long, I want to prepare myself for what comes next as a man, for the challenges that life brings, and then we will see.”
He spoke about the admiration he’s received from people across Africa.
“A short time ago I took a trip to seven to eight countries around Africa with Infantino and I was surprised by the different popularity I had.
“I laughed because I could bring a dream to this continent. It’s a way to help people there, I don’t know, I’m grateful for what they see in me and for bringing all this happiness to these people.”
Eto’o touched on his thoughts about modern Italian football and Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini.
“My relationship with everyone was very good. He was the coach who made decisions, you may or may not agree on some things as a footballer but it doesn’t change the fact that there are players of a certain level who must have an agreement with the coaches but I’ve never had problems.”
He wasn’t surprised by the success of Atalanta under Gasperini.
“I’m not surprised, he’s doing very well. He’s making his team play very well but I want and hope that Inter will win the league, then God knows what will happen, but I hope this.”
Eto’o didn’t rule out that he would consider becoming a coach in the future.
“I finished my career a few months ago and I told myself that I would prepare well in everything in the next two years because I have a long life ahead of me. Clearly, I should first pass my exams as a coach, prepare for future financial commitments that I might have. When we’re players we don’t have a lot of time to do anything else, we earn a lot of money and we need to surround ourselves with different kinds of people. Now I have to understand everything I can do in business and everything that surrounds me.”
He refused to reveal what his future plans are specifically.
“I know what I want to do, it’s very clear. But I’m not saying it now!”
Eto’o spoke about how he was offered a player/coach role by Sampdoria.
“Yes, at the time of Samp, Ferrero asked me if I wanted to do it, but at that time I wasn’t ready even though a year later I was on a player-coach adventure in Turkey because I had team-mates who helped me in this regard but it’s not easy. I’m Eto’o, I share the locker room with a lot of players but accepting my decisions for others wasn’t easy. I’ll always be grateful to them.”
The Cameroonian touched on Bologna coach and former teammate Sinisa Mihajlovic.
“I’ve had his hard times because we have a very similar character. He’s an incredible person, after going through this period he was great. Only he can recover, because he’s a champion. I think if it had happened to others, it wouldn’t have been the same. All his advice in that short period will always help me, especially helped me in this end of my career.”
The former Barcelona and Inter striker touched on Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri.
“Actually, the coach I saw at Empoli and the one I saw at Chelsea and now with Juve are very different. I saw Empoli playing, that was a team that played with personality, came out from behind and even the goalkeeper played with the ball. That’s why it was beautiful. Today we don’t see coaches like Guardiola making teams play, maybe you lose but when a football team plays football, the fans have fun. Today I look at Juve and I don’t know, they have Ronaldo, the best of all time, or Dybala who is another phenomenon. But I’d like to see the coach I saw at Empoli again, he’d give a lot. Yesterday I was watching the Juve game and I thought something was missing.”
He didn’t think that Inter coach Antonio Conte had changed as his career had developed.
“Conte hasn’t changed. He’s the same one we saw at Juve or Chelsea. He hasn’t changed, he hasn’t gone up or down, that’s his idea. That’s his kick. I’m glad because with the ups and downs, right now the respect Inter deserves is back.”
Finally, Eto’o gave his predictions for the title race.
“Inter will win it.”
