News in 2006

01st March 2006

Eto'o appeals for help

Barcelona's Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o has appealed for public support in the campaign to stamp out racism in sport.

"Please give me support to banish violence and insults from sport," he said, describing insults on the football pitch as a "world problem."

Eto'o, who received an award from Zaman, the Turkish daily, wanted to leave the pitch a quarter of an hour before the end of Barcelona's 2-0 away victory against Real Zaragoza, in protest at monkey cries from the rival team's supporters.

He was persuaded to complete the game by the referee and his Barcelona team-mates.

Spain's football federation have fined Zaragoza 9,000 Euros for the incident.

"Football is a game we have to take pleasure from, but with the knowledge that life goes on before and after a match," Eto'o was quoted as saying on Wednesday.