Samuel Eto’o Isn’t Really Moving to Uzbekistan. Is He?

By: Daryl | July 17th, 2008

Some transfer rumours are so bizarre they make you dizzy, and they don’t come much dizzier than Samuel Eto’o to Uzbekistan side Kuruvchi. But that’s what’s in the news today. Let’s all take a second to let that sink in…

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..Kuruvchi’s sporting director Bahtier Babayev claimed that:

“Eto’o will arrive in Tashkent on Thursday and he will sign a contract with our club, at least up until the end of 2008.

You know what today is? It’s Thursday. You know what that picture is? It’s Samuel Eto’o in Taskent. Commence head-spinning.

This can’t be right. Eto’o’s not some washed up superstar, he’s a 27 year old striker who should be at the peak of his powers. OK, he’s lost a lot of form since the meniscus injury, but why would a 27 year superstar striker want to play for a team that – until very very recently – not many outside of Uzbekistan had ever ever heard of?

Babayev went on to say:

“The term of the contract will depend on our performance in the AFC Champions League. We will play Saipa in the quarter-finals and Eto’o is our main purchase before the knockout stage of the tournament.

“The defining moment of the transfer was not money, but the friendly mutual relations between the management of our club and Barcelona. The personal friendship between presidents of the clubs has noticeably lowered the transfer fee.”

Eto’o himself apparently attended a press conference today where he said he had other offers and was still thinking things over. Here’s Eto’o’s quote from the Kuruvchi website:

There was a really suggestion from club Kuruvchi. That’s way I’m in Tashkent right now. One the reasons why I’m here, to get know about this people and every interesting thing belong to this country. I just want to say something, but there still more suggestions from other clubs and I will choose one of the rightist for me. Tonight I will departure to Spain and there I will confirm my final opinion.

I have a deal with Vice-President of Kuruvchi Tavakkal Isomilov and if I come to the rightist decision I will tell him first and we promise keep this date in secret.

Common sense says that, tempting as the Asian Champions League may be, Eto’o will choose a European team should a suitable offer come his way. But if Eto’o does sign for Kuruvchi, he’ll at least be getting more Champions League football than Ronaldinho next season.