Association money into his own account? Serious allegations against football legend Samuel Eto’o

Documents and contracts seen by the newspaper reveal two payment demands worth around €455,000 and €113,000. The transfers are said to have gone straight into the personal account of the 45-year-old official at Qatar National Bank in Doha. The money came from the appearance fee for a friendly between the Russian national team and Cameroon, played in Moscow in October 2023.

Russia were barred from all official FIFA and UEFA tournaments after the start of the war in Ukraine, which gave the match a sharp political edge. Cameroon were one of the few more prominent nations willing to face the host nation’s selection at all.

Several former executive board members of the Cameroonian football association Fecafoot, whom Eto’o said he had deliberately forced out of their offices, made serious allegations. They said the whereabouts of the money remained unclear. More than a year ago, they formally called on the world governing body’s ethics committee to investigate the events, but have received no response to this day.

Is Samuel Eto’o being protected by Gianni Infantino?

That continuing silence is fuelling suspicion inside the Cameroonian association that the former professional could be being protected by FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Eto’o has long been seen as one of the Swiss official’s most outspoken supporters. Most recently, the name of the former world-class striker surfaced in FIFA’s legal steps against UEFA, where he is explicitly listed as a supporter of Infantino’s failed plan to sell stakes in World Cups to private investors.

FIFA strongly rejected any influence and stressed the independence of the internal investigators: “The FIFA president has no influence over FIFA’s independent bodies. FIFA welcomes legitimate scrutiny. However, this scrutiny is not a licence to spread unfounded allegations against the FIFA president.”

On the ground, critics remain sceptical. Journalist Guibai Gatama, who belonged to the Fecafoot leadership between 2021 and 2022 and was later expelled, said: “To my knowledge, there are no accounting or banking documents proving that the funds transferred to Samuel Eto’o’s private account in Qatar were subsequently transferred to an official Fecafoot account or recorded in their accounts.” He added: “Those involved in Cameroonian football interpret FIFA’s silence as political and institutional support for Samuel Eto’o.”

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Which clubs did Samuel Eto’o play for?

Eto’o, who denies the allegation of embezzlement, does not hide his close ties to the FIFA chief. In an interview with France 24, Eto’o recently enthused: “In my heart, President Gianni has become far more than a figure in the world of football – a brother, a big brother, a friend, someone whose rise we have followed, someone we have supported, with whom we have built things together that serve football.”

During his playing career, the four-time African Footballer of the Year turned out for Real Madrid, Chelsea and Everton among others. His greatest spell, though, came at Barcelona, where he formed an outstanding front three alongside Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry, and at Inter Milan. He won two Champions League titles and numerous domestic championships.