The Cameroonian Football Federation ( French : Fédération Camerounaise de Football ) is the governing body of football in Cameroon . It is known as FECAFOOT.
148-709: On 11 December 2021, the acting-president of FECAFOOT, former Cameroonian international striker Samuel Eto'o , was elected president of the organisation. It was after the First World War that the first football teams were established in Douala by the teacher Charles Lalanne. Soon, his example was followed in Yaoundé and the major centres of South Cameroon. Around 1947 was founded by physician-colonel Baudiment "La Fédération des Sports", who organized and regulated sports in force at that time, particularly football. Leagues were formed; at
296-471: A double and his first silverware with the club. There was much expectation that Henry would replicate his club form for France during the 2002 FIFA World Cup , but the defending champions suffered a shock exit at the group stage. 2002–03 proved to be another productive season for Henry, as he scored 32 goals in all competitions while contributing 23 assists—remarkable returns for a striker. In doing so, he led Arsenal to another FA Cup triumph (where he
444-590: A 2–0 victory against San Jose Earthquakes . The Red Bulls eventually topped the MLS Eastern Conference by one point over Columbus Crew before losing 3–2 on aggregate against San Jose Earthquakes in the quarter-finals of the 2010 MLS Cup Playoffs . The next season , the Red Bulls were 10th overall in the league, and bowed out in the Conference semi-finals of the 2011 MLS Cup Playoffs . By 2011, Henry had
592-434: A 3–0 road win over Sevilla , moving him into the club's top ten all-time goalscorers. On 14 February 2009, he scored his 99th and his 100th league goals for Barcelona in a 2–2 draw with Real Betis . Eto'o scored his 30th goal of the 2008–09 season in a La Liga match against Real Valladolid. The game ended 1–0 and meant that Barcelona kept a six-point lead over Real Madrid in the league. He also scored against Villarreal in
740-507: A 3–0 victory. In Eto'o's first league start of 2014, on 19 January, he scored his first Premier League hat-trick for Chelsea, earning the Blues a 3–1 victory over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge . On 8 March, Eto'o opened scoring in Chelsea's 4–0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur when defender Jan Vertonghen sent a backpass straight into his path. It was the 300th goal in his club career. In
888-526: A 4–1 Red Bulls win over the Columbus Crew . With that effort he became the all-time assist leader for the New York Red Bulls with 37, surpassing Amado Guevara and Tab Ramos . On 1 December 2014, it was announced that Henry had left the Red Bulls after four and a half years at the club. On 16 December, he announced his retirement as a player and stated that he would begin working for Sky Sports as
1036-400: A 5–0 friendly loss to Costa Rica . In 1998, he was the youngest participant in the 1998 FIFA World Cup when he appeared in a 3–0 group stage loss to Italy on 17 June 1998, at the age of 17 years and three months. Eto'o scored his sole goal of the 2002 FIFA World Cup when he netted the game-winner against Saudi Arabia during the group stage on 6 June 2002, which was Cameroon's only win of
1184-469: A 6–3 loss against Chelsea on 30 August 2014, during his time with Everton. Beyond his speed and goalscoring, Eto'o was also known for his first touch, close control, and passing ability in his prime; even in his advancing age, he maintained his dribbling skills in his later career, which he used to his advantage to beat defenders and assist or create chances for teammates. In his mid-thirties Eto'o incorporated an ‘old man’ routine in his goal celebration –
1332-412: A bid to make the club world-beaters, were available on the transfer market. On 29 August 2013, Eto'o signed a one-year deal with English Premier League club Chelsea for an undisclosed fee. He scored his first goal for Chelsea on 19 October 2013 against Cardiff City , in which he gave Chelsea the lead. In Chelsea's home Champions League match against Schalke 04 on 6 November, Eto'o scored twice in
1480-451: A club record £4.4 million fee. In his second season, he scored 11 goals and began to garner attention throughout the league. Mallorca President Mateo Alemany said of his style of play, "I doubt if there is any other player in the world who would please the fans more at this moment." Eto'o himself commented on his rise to stardom, "I like it here in Mallorca ; I have always been well looked after,
1628-527: A defensive change instead. In 1998, he was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour , France's highest decoration. Henry was a member of France's UEFA Euro 2000 squad , again scoring three goals in the tournament, including the equaliser against Portugal in the semi-final , and finishing as the country's top scorer. France later won the game in extra time following a converted penalty kick by Zinedine Zidane . France went on to defeat Italy in extra-time in
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#17328917789131776-505: A lone striker. Still, Henry remained Arsenal's main offensive threat, on many occasions conjuring spectacular goals. Wenger said of his fellow Frenchman: "Thierry Henry could take the ball in the middle of the park and score a goal that no one else in the world could score". One of the reasons cited for Henry's impressive play up front is his ability to calmly score from one-on-ones. According to his father Antoine, Henry learned precision shooting from watching his idol Marco van Basten . He
1924-528: A match against Colombia , becoming the sixth French player ever to reach that milestone. Henry missed the opening game of France's short-lived UEFA Euro 2008 campaign, where they were eliminated in the group stages after being drawn in the same group as Italy, the Netherlands and Romania . He scored France's only goal in the competition in a 4–1 loss to the Netherlands. The French team struggled during
2072-807: A member of the Cameroon national team , Eto'o was a part of the squad that won the Gold Medal at the 2000 Olympics . He also won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2000 and 2002. Eto'o has participated in four World Cups and six Africa Cup of Nations . He is the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, with 18 goals, and is Cameroon's all-time leading scorer and third most capped player , with 56 goals in 118 caps. Eto'o announced his retirement from international football in August 2014. Having trained at
2220-597: A more integrated 2008–09 campaign, with 26 goals and 10 assists from the left wing. He won the first trophy of his Barcelona career on 13 May 2009 when Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final . Barcelona won the Primera División and UEFA Champions League soon after, completing a treble for the Frenchman, who had combined with Messi and Samuel Eto'o to score 100 goals between them that season. The trio
2368-500: A non-contractual sponsorship agreement with Dietrich Mateschitz 's Red Bull GmbH , and was claimed by the company as a member of the Red Bull "family". After training with Arsenal during the MLS off-season, Henry re-signed for the club on a two-month loan deal on 6 January 2012. This was to provide cover for Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh , who were unavailable due to their participation in
2516-413: A player like him. He's an athlete with great technical ability and a tremendous desire to be the best." When up front, Henry is occasionally known to move out wide to the left wing position, something which enables him to contribute heavily in assists : between 2002–03 and 2004–05, the striker managed almost 50 assists in total and this was attributed to his unselfish play and creativity. Ranking Henry
2664-538: A press conference. Bony suffered an injury, but Eto'o later apologized for the altercation, offering to pay Bony's medical expenses. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Gabon , Eto'o scored a goal in the 68th minute. He followed it up with another goal in the home fixture. He led the scoring chart with eight qualification goals. Eto'o scored in the World Cup qualification match against Morocco to win Cameroon
2812-740: A pundit. After working at Sky for over three years, Henry quit his position in July 2018 to focus on his career as a coach. Henry enjoyed a successful career with the France national team , winning the first of his 123 caps in June 1997, when his good form for Monaco was rewarded with a call-up to the Under-20 French national team , where he played in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship alongside future teammates William Gallas and David Trezeguet . Within four months, France head coach Aimé Jacquet called Henry up to
2960-550: A response to jibes by José Mourinho about being too old – where he bent over and started walking slowly with an imaginary cane, with the celebration featuring in EA Sports’ FIFA video game FIFA 18 . On 11 December 2021, Eto'o was elected President of the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT). In September 2024 he received a six month ban from attending Cameroon international games due to breaching
3108-409: A role which many felt was not naturally suited for him; the captaincy is more commonly given to defenders or midfielders, who are better-placed on the pitch to read the game. Along with being chief goalscorer, he was responsible for leading a very young team which had yet to gel fully. The 2005–06 season proved to be one of remarkable personal achievements for Henry. On 17 October 2005, Henry became
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#17328917789133256-460: A salary cut for his last year with the Los Angeles Galaxy . In 2013, Henry's base salary dropped to $ 3.75 million setting him behind Robbie Keane 's $ 4 million base salary. With bonuses, however, Henry remained the highest-paid player with $ 4.35 million compared to Keane's $ 4.33 million. On 31 March 2012, Henry scored his first MLS hat-trick in a 5–2 Red Bulls win over
3404-404: A slight injury; Chelsea went on to win the match 6–0. Eto'o's contract with Chelsea expired at the end of the 2013–14 season , and on 26 August 2014, he joined fellow English Premier League side Everton , signing a two-year contract. He made his debut four days later, scoring one goal with a header in a 3–6 home defeat to Chelsea. On 26 October, Eto'o bagged a brace for Everton, heading in
3552-406: A spot in the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament. On 19 June 2010, Eto'o scored a goal in Cameroon's 2010 World Cup group stage match against Denmark , from a mistake by Christian Poulsen . Cameroon eventually lost the game 2–1 and was eliminated from the World Cup. Eto'o described it as the biggest disappointment of his career. In December 2010, Eto'o became the first man to be named African Player of
3700-484: A striker during his youth, he spent his time at Monaco and Juventus playing on the wing . When Henry joined Arsenal in 1999, Wenger immediately changed this, switching Henry to his childhood position, often pairing him with Dutch veteran Dennis Bergkamp . During the 2004–05 season, Wenger switched Arsenal's formation to 4–5–1 . This change forced Henry to adapt again to fit into the Arsenal team, and he played many games as
3848-487: A team protest by refusing to train. In the final group game against host-nation South Africa in which Henry came on as a second-half substitute, France lost 2–1 and were eliminated from the tournament. He then announced his retirement from international football, having won 123 caps and scored 51 goals for Les Bleus , thus finishing his international career as France's all-time top scorer, and second most capped player after Lilian Thuram . Although Henry played up front as
3996-684: A tentative start to his Monaco career, Henry was named the French Young Footballer of the Year in 1996, and in the 1996–97 season , his solid performances helped the club win the Ligue 1 title. During the 1997–98 season , he was instrumental in leading his club to the UEFA Champions League semi-final , setting a French record, that was broken since, by scoring seven goals in the competition. By his third season, he had received his first cap for
4144-498: A three-year deal that made him the world's highest-paid player, with a salary of €20 million (after taxes) per season. Eto'o made his debut for Anzhi on 27 August 2011 against Rostov when he came on as a substitute with 30 minutes left in the game, later scoring an equalizer in the 80th minute from a cross by Yuri Zhirkov . Eto'o scored the opening goal in a 5–3 defeat at home to CSKA Moscow leaving his side four points above Krasnodar with only two games left for qualification to
4292-603: A tough neighbourhood, provided good footballing facilities. As a seven-year-old, Henry showed great potential, prompting Claude Chezelle to recruit him to the local club CO Les Ulis . His father pressured him to attend training, although the youngster was not particularly drawn to football. He joined US Palaiseau in 1989, but after a year his father fell out with the club, so Henry moved to ES Viry-Châtillon and played there for two years. US Palaiseau coach Jean-Marie Panza, Henry's future mentor, followed him there. In 1990, Monaco sent scout Arnold Catalano to watch Henry, then at
4440-434: A two-and-a-half-year deal. On 25 June 2015, Eto'o moved to Turkish side Antalyaspor on a three-year contract. He made his debut on 15 August 2015 in a league match against İstanbul Başakşehir , scoring two goals and helping Antalyaspor win 3–2. Eto'o had a blistering start to the season, scoring 13 goals in his first 15 games, and was named the interim player-manager for the team after the previous coach, Yusuf Şimşek ,
4588-488: A year later to manage Montréal Impact . He led Montréal to the playoffs in the 2020 season before departing in 2021, returning to his role as an assistant coach for Belgium for a year and a half. Henry is of Antillean heritage: his father, Antoine, is from Guadeloupe ( La Désirade island), and his mother, Maryse, is from Martinique . He was born and raised in Les Ulis suburb of Paris which, despite sometimes being seen as
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4736-400: A youth player. Subsequently, Henry signed professional forms with Monaco, and made his professional debut on 31 August 1994, in a 2–0 loss against Nice . Although Wenger suspected that Henry should be deployed as a striker, he put Henry on the left wing because he believed that his pace, natural ball control and skill would be more effective against full backs than centre-backs . After
4884-545: Is Peter NTAMACKYANA (1985-1986) and especially Issa Hayatou from 1986 to 1988 current president of the African Football Confederation (CAF). Next are the appointments of Jean NJi NJIKAM (1988-1989), Albert ETOTOKE (1989-1990), Njikam Simon, Pascal OWONA (1990-1993) and Maha DAHER (1993-1996) to the presidency of the FECAFOOT Team in the 1990 World Cup, and the final qualifications will be punctuated. Following
5032-570: Is a French professional football coach, pundit , sports broadcaster and former player. He is considered one of the greatest strikers of all time, and one of the greatest players in Premier League history. He has been named by Arsenal as the club's greatest ever player. Henry was runner-up for both the Ballon d'Or in 2003 and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004. He was named
5180-475: Is a dream come true. There is a lot of work to do, as you can imagine – but I am more than happy to be here". Henry's arrival at Monaco was greeted with mixed reactions by some media outlets, due to his relative inexperience as a top-level coach and the task of overturning Monaco's misfortunes. Despite inheriting a squad of sub-standard quality, Henry expressed a desire of replicating the football he played under Pep Guardiola at Barcelona , as well as instilling
5328-469: Is a fantastic player, but he leaves a lot to be desired as a person." He signed an improved contract with Barcelona in June 2005. After missing out on the previous year's Pichichi trophy , which is given to the top scorer in La Liga, Eto'o edged out Valencia striker David Villa for the award during the final matchday on 20 May 2006 when he scored his 26th goal of the season against Athletic Bilbao . Eto'o
5476-439: Is the best thing that has happened to me because since I came to England aged 18 I have had the best mentors. Thierry for me is the best. Every day whether it is positive and negative I take it in my stride because I know what is expected from the top level." At the 2018 FIFA World Cup , Belgium reached the semi-final, but lost to Henry's home nation France 1–0. Henry picked up a Bronze medal after Belgium defeated England 2–0 in
5624-624: Is the current president of the Cameroonian Football Federation . He won the African Player of the Year a record four times: in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2010. A precocious talent, Eto'o moved to Real Madrid as a 16 year old. Due to competition in his position with more experienced players, he had several loan spells, before signing for Mallorca in 2000 where he scored 70 goals, a club record . His impressive form saw him join Barcelona in 2004 where he scored 130 goals in five seasons and also became
5772-591: Is the fourth player in Champions League history, after Marcel Desailly , Paulo Sousa , and Gerard Piqué , to have won the trophy two years in a row with different teams. After brief spells with Anzhi Makhachkala , Chelsea , Everton , and Sampdoria , Eto'o found prolific form again in the Süper Lig with Antalyaspor having scored 44 goals in 76 league games. In 2015, he received the Golden Foot Award. As
5920-627: The 1998 FIFA World Cup , UEFA Euro 2000 , and 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup . He was named French Player of the Year a record five times, named to the UEFA Euro 2000 Team of the Tournament , awarded both the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup Golden Ball and Golden Shoe , and named to the 2006 FIFA World Cup All-Star Team . In October 2007, he became his country's record goalscorer , a record he held until December 2022. After amassing 123 appearances and 51 goals, Henry retired from international football after
6068-460: The 2003–04 season , Arsenal were determined to reclaim the Premier League crown. Henry was again instrumental in Arsenal's exceptionally successful campaign; together with the likes of Dennis Bergkamp , Patrick Vieira , Freddie Ljungberg and Robert Pires , Henry ensured that the Gunners became the first team in more than a century to go through the entire domestic league season unbeaten , claiming
Cameroonian Football Federation - Misplaced Pages Continue
6216-434: The 2006 UEFA Champions League Final . Henry transferred to Barcelona in 2007 and in the 2008–09 season , he was a key part of the club's historic treble when they won La Liga , the Copa del Rey , and the UEFA Champions League . In 2010, he joined Major League Soccer (MLS) club New York Red Bulls and returned to Arsenal on loan for two months in 2012, before retiring in 2014. Henry had success with France , winning
6364-526: The 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and finished second in their group behind Serbia . During the play-offs against the Republic of Ireland , Henry was involved in a controversy in the second leg of the game at the Stade de France on 18 November 2009. With the aggregate score tied at 1–1 and the game in extra time, he used his hand twice to control the ball before delivering a cross to William Gallas who scored
6512-501: The 2010 FIFA World Cup . After retiring, Henry transitioned into coaching. He began coaching Arsenal's youth teams in February 2015, in tandem with his work as a pundit for Sky Sports . In 2016, he was appointed as an assistant coach at Belgium , before assuming the role as the head coach at Monaco in 2018. He was relieved of his duties at Monaco in January 2019 and returned to MLS less than
6660-490: The 2010 World Cup , Barcelona confirmed that they had agreed to the sale of Henry to an unnamed club, with the player still to agree terms with the new club. In July 2010, Henry signed a multi-year contract with Major League Soccer (MLS) club New York Red Bulls for the 2010 season as its second designated player . He made his full MLS debut on 31 July in a 2–2 draw against Houston Dynamo , assisting both goals to Juan Pablo Ángel . His first MLS goal came on 28 August in
6808-482: The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations . Henry was given the number 12 jersey – his old Arsenal number 14 jersey, the same number he wore at Barcelona and New York, was unavailable, with Theo Walcott inheriting it following Henry's departure from the club in 2007. Henry made his second Arsenal debut as a substitute against Leeds United in the FA Cup third round and scored the only goal. In his last league game on loan, he scored
6956-583: The 2015–16 UEFA Youth League to his advice. Having earned a UEFA A Licence , he was offered the job of under-18 coach by Academy head Andries Jonker , but the decision was overruled by Wenger, who wanted a full-time coach for the team. In August 2016, Henry became second assistant coach of the Belgium national team , working alongside head coach Roberto Martínez and fellow assistant Graeme Jones . In an interview with NBC Sports , Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku praised Henry for his work with him, stating, "Henry
7104-401: The 2022 FIFA World Cup , the federation faces many financial difficulties. The camerounweb.com site reports numerous unpaid bills and a proposal to split the salaries of some players in pairs. CAMER ECHO Samuel Eto%27o Samuel Eto'o Fils ( French pronunciation: [samɥɛl eto fis] ; born 10 March 1981) is a Cameroonian football administrator and former player who
7252-603: The Ballon d'Or , which was won by his former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi . Eight days later, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal for the team in the final Group F match against Rubin Kazan to help Inter win 2–0 at home and progress to the knockout stage as runner-ups. Eto'o continued to be a protagonist for Inter in Europe, netting the winner in the second leg of 2009–10 UEFA Champions League round of 16 against Chelsea on 16 March 2010, which allowed Inter to progress to
7400-609: The Championship Group . At the end of the 2012–13 Russian Premier League , Eto'o made it to the Top 33 players of the Season list as the #1 Right Striker. Anzhi's billionaire owner Suleyman Kerimov shocked the Russian football world by deciding in August 2013 to scale down the club's ambitions and drastically shrink its budget. As a result, almost all of the star players, previously signed in
7548-884: The FWA Footballer of the Year a record three times, the PFA Players' Player of the Year a joint-record two times, and was named in the PFA Team of the Year six consecutive times. He was also included in the FIFA FIFPro World XI once and the UEFA Team of the Year five times. In 2004, Henry was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players. Henry made his professional debut with Monaco in 1994 before signing for defending Serie A champions Juventus . However, limited playing time, coupled with disagreements with
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#17328917789137696-522: The Kadji Sports Academy in Cameroon, Eto'o joined Real Madrid's youth academy in 1997, but he could only train with Real Madrid B , as he was still a minor. Real Madrid B were relegated to the third tier, Segunda División B , where non- EU players are not allowed, and as a result, he was loaned to second division Leganés for the 1997–98 season. After making 30 appearances for the club and only scoring four goals, he returned to Madrid following
7844-577: The Montreal Impact . He was named MLS Player of the Month that same month. On 27 October 2013, Henry scored once and provided two assists in the last game of the season against the Chicago Fire at Red Bull Arena to help his team win 5–2 and become champions of the regular season. It was the club's first major trophy in their 17-year history. On 12 July 2014, Henry provided a goal and three assists in
7992-585: The Supercoppa Italiana . His first hat trick for Inter occurred in the UEFA Champions League against Werder Bremen on 29 September 2010. Inter won the game 4–0, with Eto'o saying, "We will remain humble because we know that there are sides out there that are better than us, so we will just take it one match at a time and we will go as far as it takes us." In December, Eto'o played in the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup ; he scored against TP Mazembe in
8140-510: The UEFA Cup Final against Galatasaray . Coming off the back of a victorious UEFA Euro 2000 campaign with the national team, Henry was ready to make an impact in the 2000–01 season . Despite recording fewer goals and assists than his first season, Henry's second season with Arsenal proved to be a breakthrough, as he became the club's top goalscorer. His goal tally included a spectacular strike against Manchester United where he flicked
8288-543: The final as Inter won 3–0 and lifted their fifth trophy of the year. Additionally, he was named the best player of the tournament. Continuing his outstanding form in Serie A and in the Champions League for the 2010–11 campaign , he was pivotal to Inter's attack line. On 16 March 2011, Eto'o gave a legendary performance in Munich as he helped Inter eliminate Bayern Munich 3–2 (with an aggregate score of 3–3, winning on away goals) in
8436-443: The final , earning Henry his second major international medal. During the tournament, Henry was voted man of the match in three games, including the final against Italy. The 2002 FIFA World Cup featured a stunning early exit for both Henry and France as the defending champions were eliminated in the group stage after failing to score a goal in all three games. France lost against Senegal in their first group match and Henry
8584-425: The group stage but lost to the eventual winners Greece 1–0 in the quarter-finals . During the 2006 FIFA World Cup Henry remained as one of the automatic starters in the squad. He played as a lone striker, but despite an indifferent start to the tournament, became one of the top players of the World Cup. He scored three goals, including the winning goal from Zidane's free kick against defending champions Brazil in
8732-459: The quarter-final . However, France subsequently lost to Italy on penalties (5–3) in the final . Henry did not take part in the penalty shoot-out, having been substituted in extra time after his legs had cramped. Henry was one of ten nominees for the Golden Ball award for Player of the Tournament, an award which was ultimately presented to his teammate, Zidane and was named a starting striker on
8880-580: The world governing body’s disciplinary code. This came after charges were filed against him following an incident at a 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup match in Colombia between Brazil and Cameroon . Eto'o was appointed Ambassador of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. After the Brazil-South Korea match, he was filmed kneeing a man in the face after a confrontation. News reporters were unable to identify
9028-575: The "professionalism" taught to him by Arsène Wenger . Henry also adopted a hands-on approach to training sessions, being regularly involved in devising schemes and instructing drills. His first match was a 2–1 away defeat against Strasbourg on 20 October. He was unable to secure a win for over a month, enduring a period which included two high-profile defeats against Club Brugge and Paris Saint-Germain , prior to defeating Caen on 1–0 on 25 November. He secured two wins in December, defeating Amiens in
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#17328917789139176-463: The 2006 FIFPro World XI team. On 13 October 2007, Henry scored his 41st goal against the Faroe Islands , joining Michel Platini as the country's top goalscorer of all time. Four days later at the Stade de la Beaujoire , he scored a late double against Lithuania , thereby setting a new record as France's top goalscorer. On 3 June 2008, Henry made his 100th appearance for the national team in
9324-570: The 2020 season due to travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic , and with restrictions continuing into the 2021 season, he decided to end the separation. In May 2021, Henry rejoined the coaching staff of Belgium prior to UEFA Euro 2020 . He was also in the team's coaching staff for the 2022 FIFA World Cup . In February 2023, upon the appointment of Domenico Tedesco as Belgium's new head coach, Royal Belgian Football Association CEO Peter Bossaert announced that Henry would not be returning to
9472-487: The 2022 season. In his first press conference, Henry stated he had to "confront" the relative disappointment of his short stint as manager of Monaco, before undertaking a new job. After leading Montreal to their first playoff berth in four seasons, on 25 February 2021, prior to the 2021 season , Henry stepped down as head coach of the renamed CF Montréal to be closer to his children in London. He had not been able to see them in
9620-607: The Catalans struggled to capitalize on their one-man advantage until Eto'o scored the game-tying goal in the second half. Barcelona went on to win the match 2–1, and Eto'o was awarded with the UEFA Best Forward of the Year award for his accomplishments in the European campaign. Eto'o also won an historic third consecutive African Player of the Year award that season. He said in his acceptance speech, "Above all, I dedicate this to all
9768-475: The Champions League. Eto'o scored the first goal after four minutes, and provided two clinical assists to Wesley Sneijder and to Goran Pandev for the winner. After the game, Inter President Massimo Moratti said, "I'm not sure if the deal that brought Eto'o to the club was my best piece of transfer business ever, but I really think it was a great piece of business for us. Eto'o is fantastic. I do not want to take anything away from Ibrahimović, but for everyone it
9916-528: The Premier League title again, but hopes of a trophy were revived when Arsenal reached the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final . The Gunners eventually lost 2–1 to Barcelona , with Henry assisting the team's only goal from a free kick, and Arsenal's inability to win the league title for two consecutive seasons combined with the relative inexperience of the Arsenal squad caused much speculation that Henry would leave for another club. However, he declared his love for
10064-410: The Year for a fourth time. On 16 December 2011, Eto'o was suspended 15 games by the Cameroonian Football Federation , after the team refused to play a friendly against Algeria earlier in the year. The ban was reduced to eight months in January 2012, meaning Eto'o would only miss four competitive matches. The change was brought about after Cameroon President Paul Biya asked officials to reconsider
10212-660: The aforementioned treble, the Supercopa de España , the UEFA Super Cup , and the FIFA Club World Cup . The following season , the emergence of Pedro meant that Henry only started 15 league games. Before the La Liga season ended, and with a year still left on his contract, club president Joan Laporta stated on 5 May 2010 that Henry "may go away in the summer transfer window if that's what he wants." After Henry returned from
10360-467: The aftermath of the incident. In January 2010, FIFA announced that there was no legal basis to sanction Henry. Henry did not feature in the starting line-up for France at the 2010 FIFA World Cup . France drew in their first game against Uruguay, and lost 2–0 in their second against Mexico . The team was thrown into disarray when Nicolas Anelka was expelled from the team, and captain Patrice Evra led
10508-449: The age of 13, in a match. Henry scored all six goals as his side won 6–0. Catalano asked him to join Monaco without even attending a trial first. Catalano requested that Henry complete a course at the elite INF Clairefontaine academy, and despite the director's reluctance to admit Henry due to his poor school results, he was allowed to complete the course and joined Arsène Wenger 's Monaco as
10656-463: The ball is played and beat the offside trap , although he never provided Arsenal a distinct aerial threat. Given his versatility in being able to operate as both a winger and a striker, the Frenchman is not a prototypical " out-and-out striker ", but he has emerged consistently as one of Europe's most prolific strikers. In set pieces , Henry was the first-choice penalty and free kick taker for Arsenal, scoring regularly from those situations. Henry
10804-521: The ball up (with his back turned to goal), before he swivelled and volleyed in from 20 yards out. The strike also featured a memorable goal celebration where he recreated the Budweiser "Whassup?" advertisement. Armed with one of the league's best attacks, Arsenal finished runner-up to perennial rivals Manchester United in the Premier League . The team also reached the final of the FA Cup , losing 2–1 to Liverpool . Henry remained frustrated, however, by
10952-588: The children of Africa." He was also selected to his second straight FIFPro World XI and finished third in the running for the FIFA World Player of the Year , making him only the second African footballer ever, after the Liberian star George Weah , to be voted into the top three. The season started badly for Eto'o, as he ruptured the meniscus in his right knee during Barcelona's Champions League group stage match against Werder Bremen on 27 September 2006. Barcelona team physician Ricard Pruna originally estimated that
11100-412: The club and accepted a four-year contract, and said he would stay at Arsenal for life. Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein later claimed the club had turned down two bids of £50 million from Spanish clubs for Henry before the signing of the new contract. Had the transfer materialised, it would have surpassed the then-world record £47 million paid for Zinedine Zidane . Henry's 2006–07 season
11248-468: The club's top goalscorer of all time ; two goals against Sparta Prague in the Champions League meant he broke Ian Wright 's record of 185 goals. On 1 February 2006, he scored a goal against West Ham United , bringing his league goal tally up to 151, breaking Arsenal legend Cliff Bastin 's league goals record. Henry scored his 100th league goal at Highbury , a feat unparalleled in the history of
11396-400: The club's fate, and on 24 January, Henry was dismissed at Monaco. The club were 19th at the time of his departure, and Henry left with a record of 4 wins, 5 draws, and 11 defeats, from 20 games in charge. On 14 November 2019, Henry became manager of Major League Soccer side Montreal Impact , signing a two-year deal until the end of the 2021 season with an option to extend it by a year until
11544-594: The club's hierarchy, led to him signing for Premier League club Arsenal for £11 million in 1999. Under long-time mentor and coach Arsène Wenger , Henry became a prolific striker and Arsenal's all-time leading scorer with 228 goals in all competitions. He won the Premier League Golden Boot a record four times, won two FA Cups and two Premier League titles with the club, including one during an unbeaten Invincible season. Henry spent his final two seasons with Arsenal as club captain , leading them to
11692-603: The club's historic treble year. After Maxwell completed the transfer from Inter Milan, Joan Laporta confirmed that there was an agreement in principle between Barcelona and Inter Milan for Zlatan Ibrahimović to join the club in exchange for Eto'o and €46 million. After Ibrahimović agreed terms with Barcelona, the club announced Eto'o would travel to Milan for his medical to complete the transfer. On 27 July 2009, Eto'o passed his medical and signed for five years with Inter. On his first press-conference in Milan, he declared that he
11840-520: The club, and a unique achievement in the Premier League. On the final day of the Premier League season, Henry scored a hat-trick against Wigan Athletic in the last match played at Highbury. He completed the season as the league's top goalscorer, was voted the FWA Footballer of the Year for the third time in his career, and was selected in the FIFA World XI . Nevertheless, Arsenal failed to win
11988-399: The comments, Barcelona President Joan Laporta was quick to quash rumours of transfers involving Eto'o and Ronaldinho. After aggravating a meniscus injury on 28 August during a summer friendly against Inter Milan , Eto'o was sidelined indefinitely. On 17 October, in the midst of his recovery period, he gained Spanish citizenship. He was cleared to play again on 4 December, and returned to
12136-522: The competition's history after scoring his 14th goal with a penalty against Zambia on 26 January 2008. In the following game against Sudan , on 30 January, Eto'o converted another penalty to become the tournament's all-time leading scorer, followed by another goal in the same match that took his Cup of Nations tally to 16. He finished as the top scorer for the second consecutive tournament, matching his 2006 total of five goals. On 1 June 2008, Eto'o headbutted reporter Philippe Bony following an incident at
12284-416: The competition. Eto'o was a part of the squads that won the 2000 and 2002 Africa Cup of Nations , and was a gold medalist at the 2000 Summer Olympics . At the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup , in which Cameroon finished as runners-up, he scored his only goal in a 1–0 group stage upset of Brazil on 19 June. Cameroon were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations after Eto'o missed
12432-406: The contract included a release clause of €125 (£84.9) million. Henry cited the departure of Dein and continued uncertainty over Wenger's future as reasons for leaving, and maintained that "I always said that if I ever left Arsenal it would be to play for Barcelona." Despite their captain's departure, Arsenal got off to an impressive start for the 2007–08 campaign, and Henry said that his presence in
12580-411: The controversial sanction. On 27 August 2012, Eto'o was in the squad to face Cape Verde in the first leg of a qualification play-off for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations , but the striker refused to play, as a protest against what he described as the "amateurish and poorly organised" national team set-up. After an intervention from Cameroon Prime Minister Philemon Yang , Eto'o agreed to return for
12728-525: The decisive penalty in a 12–11 penalty shootout loss to Ivory Coast following a 1–1 draw, but he nonetheless finished as the top scorer of the tournament with five goals. He missed a team practice before the quarter-finals to attend the CAF African Footballer of the Year award ceremonies in Togo . In the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations , Eto'o became joint leading goalscorer (along with Laurent Pokou ) in
12876-404: The end of the 1998–99 season. In January 1999, he was loaned out to Espanyol , but made only one appearance for the club, against Real Valladolid in Copa del Rey . The next season, in the winter transfer window, he transferred to La Liga team Mallorca on loan, where he scored six goals in 19 games. At the end of the season, Eto'o left Real Madrid, signing a permanent deal with Mallorca for
13024-474: The fact that he had yet to help the club win honours, and frequently expressed his desire to establish Arsenal as a powerhouse. Success finally arrived during the 2001–02 season . Arsenal finished seven points above Liverpool to win the Premier League title, and defeated Chelsea 2–0 in the FA Cup Final . Henry became the league's top goalscorer and netted 32 goals in all competitions as he led Arsenal to
13172-432: The fans appreciate me and I also have a contract that runs until 2007." He returned the fans' appreciation when he donated €30,000 in meals to travelling Mallorca supporters who made the journey to the Copa del Rey final against Recreativo de Huelva in 2003. Mallorca won the match 3–0, with Eto'o scoring two late goals to seal the victory. Eto'o also scored in two consecutive away wins against his former club Real Madrid :
13320-473: The fans chanting, " Madrid, cabrón, saluda al campeón " (English for, "Madrid, bastards, salute the champions"). The Royal Spanish Football Federation fined Eto'o €12,000 for his comments, for which he later apologized. He expressed regret and asked for forgiveness from Real Madrid, his first professional team. The head of the Real Madrid fan club federation remained unimpressed, however, stating, "This character
13468-494: The fifth consecutive, after defeating Siena in the final matchday. On 22 May 2010, Eto'o played in the third Champions League final of his career, as Inter won 2–0 over Bayern Munich to win the first title in 45 years; Milito scored both goals, with Eto'o setting up the second. With Inter's triumph over Bayern Munich, he became the only player to win the treble in consecutive seasons with two different teams. On 21 August 2010, Eto'o scored twice as Inter beat Roma 3–1 to win
13616-448: The final. He is the second player in history to score in two UEFA Champions League finals. At Barcelona, Eto'o came in third for the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2005 and was twice named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI , in 2005 and 2006. He signed with Inter Milan for the 2009–10 season, where he became the first player to win two European continental trebles following his back-to-back achievements with Barcelona and Inter. He
13764-567: The first, a 1-5 thrashing, the only home loss of the Madrilenian club who went to win the 2002-03 La Liga .; the second ended with a 2-3 result that denied a back-to-back La Liga win for Real. Eto'o departed Mallorca as the club's all-time leading domestic league scorer (54 goals) when he signed for Barcelona in the summer of 2004 for a transfer fee of €24 million, after lengthy, three-way negotiations with Mallorca and Madrid. Initially, Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez wanted to buy back
13912-548: The following match, the Derby della Madonnina against Milan , Eto'o won Inter a penalty after being brought down by Gennaro Gattuso in the box; Milito scored the penalty and Gattuso was yellow carded and eventually sent off. Inter won the match 4–0. Eto'o scored again on 13 September against Parma , his first goal from open play in a Serie A match. At the end of September 2009, Eto'o demanded almost £2.75 million from Barcelona after his transfer to Inter. The amount represented 15% of
14060-534: The full transfer rights and loan him out again, but eventually the Barcelona deal proved lucrative enough to warrant a sale. Additionally, the team already had its full quota of three non-EU players. Eto'o made his Barcelona debut in the season opener at Racing de Santander on 29 August 2004. After Barcelona won the 2004–05 La Liga title, the team organized a festive party in the Camp Nou , during which Eto'o harangued
14208-629: The game that put Barcelona one point away from lifting the 2008–09 La Liga trophy. He scored 30 goals in the season, finishing second in the Pichichi Trophy goalscorers list behind Atlético de Madrid's Diego Forlán . Eto'o scored the opening goal in the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final against Manchester United . Barcelona went on to win the final 2–0 , thus completing the Treble . The trio of Lionel Messi (38 goals), Eto'o (36 goals) and Thierry Henry (26 goals) scored exactly 100 goals between them in
14356-427: The greatest player in Premier League history, in February 2020 FourFourTwo magazine stated, "No one assisted more in a season. No one has terrorised defenders with such a combination of bewitching grace and phenomenal power." Coming in from the left, Henry's trademark finish saw him place the ball inside the far right corner of the goal. Henry would also drift offside to fool the defence then run back onside before
14504-431: The injury would keep him out of action for two to three months. After the operation, Eto'o's recovery time was extended to five months, but he resumed training with Barcelona in early January 2007. Eto'o refused to come on as a substitute in a league match against Racing de Santander on 11 February 2007. Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard said after the match, "He did not want to come on; I don't know why." Ronaldinho
14652-558: The league and Lorient in the Coupe de la Ligue , however, this was on the backdrop of three additional Ligue 1 defeats to close 2018 in the relegation zone. In January 2019, Henry entered the winter transfer window, where he signed left-back Fodé Ballo-Touré , and former Arsenal teammate Cesc Fàbregas from Chelsea . He also sanctioned the loan signing of French defensive midfielder William Vainqueur on 12 January, and experienced defender Naldo . However, these signings would not turn around
14800-545: The league in scoring, and with 31 goals in all competitions, he was the co-recipient (with Diego Forlán ) of the European Golden Boot, becoming the first player to officially win the award twice in a row ( Ally McCoist had won two Golden Boots in a row, but both were deemed unofficial ). The unexpected departure of Arsenal's captain Patrick Vieira in the 2005 close season led to Henry being awarded club captaincy,
14948-479: The league title in the process. Apart from being named for the second year running as the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year , Henry emerged once again as the runner-up for 2004 FIFA World Player of the Year award. With 39 goals scored in all competitions, the Frenchman led the league in goals scored and won the European Golden Boot . However, as was the case in 2002, Henry
15096-641: The man or reason behind the attack, which did not appear to cause any serious injury. Eto'o is a native of Nkon, a suburb of Yaoundé . He has two brothers who are also footballers: David and Étienne . Eto'o has four children: Maelle, Étienne , Siena and Lynn. He married his longtime sweetheart Georgette on 6 July 2007. Georgette is the mother of Siena and Lynn, who both live with her in Paris . On 17 October 2007, he earned his Spanish passport . Thierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry ( French pronunciation: [tjɛʁi danjɛl ɑ̃ʁi] ; born 17 August 1977)
15244-493: The move to Barcelona in the initial year, amidst widespread speculation of a return to the Premier League. In an interview with Garth Crooks on BBC 's Football Focus , Henry described missing life "back home" and even "the English press." However, Henry concluded his debut season as the club's top scorer with 19 goals in addition to nine league assists, second behind Lionel Messi 's ten. Henry went on to surpass this tally in
15392-415: The national team , and was part of the winning team in the 1998 FIFA World Cup . He continued to impress at his tenure with Monaco, and in his five seasons with the club, the young winger scored 20 league goals in 105 appearances. Henry left Monaco in January 1999, one year before his intimate and closest teammate David Trezeguet , and moved to Italian club Juventus for £10.5 million. He played on
15540-608: The opening goal and curling in a strike from outside the area, as the Toffees defeated Burnley 3−1. He stated that he wanted to win the UEFA Europa League with Everton, a tournament which he had never won before. However, Eto'o left halfway through his first season at Everton, having scored four goals in 20 games across all competitions for them. On 27 January 2015, Eto'o returned to the Italian Serie A, joining Sampdoria on
15688-464: The organization of CAN 1972. The construction of two stages will then be set up (Douala and Yaoundé). After 1972, Mr. Jean Zoa AMOUGOU was appointed president until 1978 and replaced by Mr. TITTI Gotlieb from 1978 to 1985. It is during this period that the national team will first participate in a 1982 World Cup final in Spain and win its first African Cup trophy in 1984 in C'ote d'Ivoire. The next president
15836-451: The pitch. During Inter's 2009–10 treble-winning season, Eto'o played an important role in the squad, and was utilised as a winger or even as an attacking midfielder on the left flank in Mourinho's 4–2–3–1 formation, where he was primarily required to help his team creatively and defensively with his link-up play and work-rate off the ball, which frequently saw him to track back. During
15984-522: The quarter-finals. He scored his first goal in Coppa Italia on 13 April against Fiorentina in the second of semi-finals to help Inter win 1–0 at Stadio Artemio Franchi and progress in the final 2–0 on aggregate. Eto'o won his first silverware with the club on 5 May as Inter defeated Roma 1–0 at Stadio Olimpico to lift the Coppa Italia. His 12 Serie A goals helped Inter claim another championship,
16132-464: The quick and physical English game when he failed to score in his first eight games. After several difficult months in England, Henry even conceded that he had to "be re-taught everything about the art of striking." These doubts were dispelled when he ended his first season at Arsenal with an impressive goal tally of 26. Arsenal finished second in the Premier League behind Manchester United, and lost in
16280-403: The record holder for the most appearances by an African player in La Liga . Winning La Liga three times, he was a key member of the Barcelona attack, alongside Ronaldinho , that won the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final , with Eto'o scoring in the final, and was part of a front three of Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry that won the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final , with Eto'o again scoring in
16428-423: The regulatory mid-season international break, allowing the club sufficient time to search for a replacement, however, they quickly decided on Henry, and he was appointed a mere two days later. He signed a three-year deal, and was unveiled as Monaco manager on 18 October. At his first press conference, he told reporters: "This club will always have a big place in my heart, so to be able to come here and start again, it
16576-407: The rest of the 2006–07 season. Wenger attributed Henry's injuries to a protracted 2005–06 campaign, and reiterated that Henry was keen on staying with the Gunners to rebuild for the 2007–08 season . On 25 June 2007, in an unexpected turn of events, Henry was transferred to Barcelona for €24 million. He signed a four-year deal for a reported €6.8 (£4.6) million per season. It was revealed that
16724-402: The return leg of the Champions League semi-final match against his former club Barcelona, Eto'o further demonstrated his work-rate and versatility by playing as a makeshift right-sided attacking full-back or wing-back following Thiago Motta 's controversial sending-off. Eto'o has also been renowned for his leadership, opportunism and mentality throughout his career. In his prime, Eto'o
16872-460: The role was short-lived, after he accepted the role as head coach at former club Monaco in October. On 11 October 2018, Monaco dismissed Leonardo Jardim as club manager. Jardim's position had become untenable after struggling heavily in domestic competition, with the club 18th at the time of his departure, and disputes over the club's transfer policy. Monaco's search for a new coach coincided with
17020-568: The same time contacts were made with the Metropolis. Thus, on 26 February 1955 the amateur France team came to Douala and Yaoundé for two meetings. At that time, football was undergoing a great evolution. In all the more remote parts of the Territory, small clubs were taking shape and applying for membership in the League, which was chaired by Mr. Juillard. The first extraordinary general meeting of FECAFOOT
17168-562: The season. Eto'o recorded his first league hat-trick in a match against Levante on 24 February 2008. He finished with a total of 16 league goals in 18 appearances for the season. On 25 October, Eto'o recorded the fastest hat-trick in club history after netting three times in 23 minutes in a victory over Almería . Only two games later, on 8 November 2008, Eto'o scored four goals in the first half of Barcelona's game against Real Valladolid , which ended 6–0. On 29 November 2008, he scored his 111th career Barcelona goal in all competitions in
17316-409: The second leg of Chelsea's Champions League round of 16 tie with Galatasaray , Eto'o gave the Blues a fourth-minute early lead with his tenth goal of the season, a match they would go on to win 2–0. Eto'o continued his good form after scoring another early goal, in the fifth minute, against Arsenal on 22 March. However, he was then substituted after ten minutes for Fernando Torres after picking up
17464-509: The second leg. However, Eto'o's return was not enough for Cameroon to overturn a 0–2 first leg deficit, and the Indomitable Lions failed to qualify for the Cup of Nations. On 23 March 2013, Eto'o scored his first goal for Cameroon in 16 months with a penalty kick against Togo in a 2014 World Cup qualifier . He went on to score an 82nd minute winning goal in the same match, sending Cameroon to
17612-480: The senior team. The 20-year-old made his senior international debut on 11 October 1997 in a 2–1 win against South Africa . Jacquet was so impressed with Henry that he took him to the 1998 FIFA World Cup . Although Henry was a largely unknown quantity at international level, he ended the tournament as France's top scorer with three goals. He was scheduled to appear as a substitute in the final , where France beat Brazil 3–0, but Marcel Desailly 's sending off forced
17760-439: The side a week later in Barcelona's 2–1 league win over Deportivo de La Coruña . Pep Guardiola was appointed as Barcelona's new manager for the 2008–09 season . The coach made headlines by announcing that stars such as Ronaldinho, Deco , and Eto'o were not part of his plans; Eto'o ultimately remained with the club, while the other two players departed, although Eto'o and Guardiola had several reported disagreements throughout
17908-654: The team might have been more of a hindrance than a help. He stated, "Because of my seniority, the fact that I was captain and my habit of screaming for the ball, they would sometimes give it to me even when I was not in the best position. So in that sense it was good for the team that I moved on." Henry left Arsenal as the club's leading all-time league goalscorer with 174 goals and leading all-time goalscorer in European competitions with 42 goals; in July 2008, Arsenal fans voted him as Arsenal's greatest player ever in Arsenal.com's Gunners' Greatest 50 Players poll. At Barcelona, Henry
18056-548: The third-place play-off to secure their best ever World Cup finish. Henry was reportedly offered the position of head coach by Bordeaux in August 2018. However, he declined the offer after disagreements with the club's owners. Days after turning down the Bordeaux job, and following Jones's departure from the Belgium national team, Henry, who had been the forwards coach, was promoted to Belgium assistant coach. However, his tenure in
18204-489: The top of their qualifying group . In November 2013, he captained the team in their 4–1 aggregate defeat of Tunisia in the play-off to secure World Cup qualification. In June 2014, Eto'o was selected in Cameroon's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup , becoming the third African to participate in four tournaments after compatriots Jacques Songo'o and Rigobert Song . After joining Everton, on 27 August 2014, Eto'o announced his retirement from international competition. Eto'o
18352-667: The wing, as well as at wing back and wide midfield, but he was ineffective as a goal scorer, struggling against the defensive discipline exhibited by teams in Serie A , registering just three goals in 16 appearances. In 2019, on Jamie Carragher 's podcast The Greatest Game , Henry attributed disagreements with Juve director Luciano Moggi as his rationale behind departing the club. Unsettled in Italy, Henry transferred from Juventus on 3 August 1999 to Arsenal for an estimated fee of £11 million, reuniting with his former manager Arsène Wenger. It
18500-424: The winner. This sparked a barrage of criticism against the Frenchman, while national team coach Raymond Domenech and Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger defended him. The Football Association of Ireland lodged a formal complaint with FIFA , seeking a replay of the game, which FIFA declined. Henry said that he contemplated retiring from international football after the reactions to the incident, but maintained that he
18648-506: The winning goal in stoppage time in a 2–1 win against Sunderland . His final goals for the club meant he finished his Arsenal career with a record 228 goals; 175 of them came in the Premier League . On 17 February 2012, Henry returned to Red Bulls to prepare for the 2012 season . His base salary of $ 5 million ($ 5.6 million guaranteed) made him the highest-paid player in MLS—surpassing David Beckham , who had taken
18796-457: The world's best footballers was affirmed when he emerged runner-up for the 2003 FIFA World Player of the Year award. With 24 goals and 20 assists in the league, Henry set a new record for most assists in a single Premier League season, and also became the first player in history to record at least 20 goals and 20 assists in a single season in one of Europe's top–five leagues —this feat has since been matched by Lionel Messi in 2020. Entering
18944-460: The £17.7 million (US$ 29 million) fee which Inter paid Barcelona in July 2009. The demand was based on a Spanish rule that a player should get 15% of the amount of his transfer to another Spanish club. If the parties failed to reach a solution, the matter could go to court. Eto'o scored his first Serie A brace on 29 October during a 5–3 win over Palermo , with Mario Balotelli also scoring twice. On 1 December 2009, Eto'o finished fifth in voting for
19092-456: Was red carded for a dangerous sliding challenge in their next match against Uruguay . In that game, France played to a 0–0 draw, but Henry was forced to miss the final group match due to suspension; France lost 2–0 to Denmark . Henry returned to form for his country at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup . Despite playing without team stalwarts Zidane and Patrick Vieira , France won, in large part owing to Henry's outstanding play, for which he
19240-552: Was a fast, strong, and energetic forward , who was known for his stamina, work-rate, ability in the air, and his accurate finishing ability both with his head and feet. A powerful and prolific goalscorer with good technique, composure in front of goal, and an ability to play off other forwards, Eto'o was primarily deployed as a central striker , although he was also a team player; indeed, during his time at Inter, under José Mourinho , he demonstrated notable tactical intelligence and versatility by playing in several other positions on
19388-401: Was also a notable exponent of a no-look pass where he would feint to pass the ball with his right foot, but would make contact with the ball using his standing foot (his left). Henry began coaching Arsenal's youth teams in February 2015, in tandem with his work for Sky Sports. His influence on the team was praised by players such as Alex Iwobi , who dedicated a goal against Bayern Munich in
19536-520: Was also influenced by Romário , Ronaldo and Liberian star George Weah , a new breed of strikers in the 1990s who would also operate outside the penalty area before running with the ball towards goal. At his physical peak from the late 1990s to the mid 2000s, Henry's ability to dribble past opponents with exceptional pace, skill and composure, meant that he could get in behind defenders regularly enough to score. In 2004, former Arsenal striker Alan Smith commented on Henry: "I have to say I haven't seen
19684-477: Was also the most prolific trio in Spanish league history, scoring 72 goals and surpassing the 66 goals of Real Madrid 's Ferenc Puskás , Alfredo Di Stéfano and Luis del Sol of the 1960–61 season (this was later surpassed by Real Madrid trio Cristiano Ronaldo , Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuaín who scored 89 goals in 2011–12 ). Later in 2009, Henry helped Barcelona win an unprecedented sextuple , consisting of
19832-418: Was at Arsenal that Henry made his name as a world-class footballer, and although his transfer was not without controversy, Wenger was convinced he was worth the transfer fee. Brought in as a replacement for fellow French forward Nicolas Anelka , Henry was immediately moulded into a striker by Wenger, a move that would pay rich dividends in years to come. However, doubts were raised about his ability to adapt to
19980-471: Was critical of Eto'o's actions, saying that Eto'o was not putting the team first, but Eto'o rebutted the comment, claiming that he did not come on because he did not have enough time to warm up properly. Three months later, Eto'o said, "These kind of things are usually just speculation and don't come through to me. However, if it is true that I am a problem for my team then I will go. But like I said, I am happy here. The press can write what they want." Following
20128-618: Was elected, who would remain in office until 1964. The first edition of the African Champions Club Cup was won by Cameroonian team Oryx Douala who beat Stade Malien of Mali 2–1 in a one-off final. From 1964 to 1968, the First Division championship was played with 12 to 16 teams. In 1968 he was elected head of FECAFOOT Mr René ESSOMBA. The National Team participated in the 1970 CAN final in Khartoum, Sudan. Cameroon obtained
20276-474: Was given the number 14 jersey, the same as he had worn at Arsenal. He scored his first goal for his new club on 19 September 2007 in a 3–0 Champions League group stage win over Lyon , and he recorded his first hat-trick for Barça in a Primera División match against Levante ten days later. But with Henry mostly deployed on the wing throughout the season, he was unable to reproduce the goal-scoring form he achieved with Arsenal. He expressed dissatisfaction with
20424-579: Was held on 11 January 1959 in Yaoundé. The Cameroon Football League was dissolved; it was the birth of the Cameroonian Football Federation that was under the direct control of the deputy prime minister responsible for education. The first president of FECAFOOT was Mr. Ngankou Amos. The federation was affiliated with FIFA in 1962 and with the FCA in 1963. In 1961 a new president, Mr. Ibrahim Mbombo Njoya
20572-571: Was man-of-the-match in the Final ), although Arsenal failed to retain their Premier League title. Throughout the season, he competed with Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy for the league scoring title, but the Dutchman edged Henry to the Golden Boot by a single goal. Nonetheless, Henry was named both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year . His rising status as one of
20720-465: Was marred by injuries. Although he scored 10 goals in 17 domestic appearances for Arsenal, Henry's season was cut short in February. Having missed games due to hamstring, foot, and back problems, he was deemed fit enough to come on as a late substitute against PSV in a Champions League match, but began limping shortly after coming on. Scans the next day revealed that he would need at least three months to heal from new groin and stomach injuries, missing
20868-686: Was named Man of the Match by FIFA 's Technical Study Group in three of France's five matches. In the final , he scored the golden goal in extra time to lift the title for the host country after a 1–0 victory over Cameroon . Henry was awarded both the Adidas Golden Ball as the outstanding player of the competition and the Adidas Golden Shoe as the tournament's top goalscorer with four goals. In UEFA Euro 2004 , Henry played in all of France's matches and scored two goals. France beat England in
21016-501: Was not a "cheat"; hours after FIFA had ruled out a replay, he stated that "the fairest solution would be to replay the game". FIFA President Sepp Blatter described the incident as "blatant unfair play" and announced an inquiry into how such incidents could be avoided in future, and added that the incident would be investigated by the Disciplinary Committee. Blatter also said Henry told him that his family had been threatened in
21164-449: Was really a great deal to get Eto'o. Samuel is truly extraordinary." On 29 May, Eto'o scored two goals in the final of the Coppa Italia against Palermo to help Inter win 3–1 and taking his total season goals to 37, a new record high for him. On 25 August 2011, Eto'o announced his departure from Inter Milan via an open letter to the fans. On 23 August 2011, Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala reached an agreement with Inter to sign Eto'o in
21312-466: Was regarded by pundits as one of the best strikers in the world; he is currently regarded as one of the greatest African players of all time. He is often ranked among the three greatest African strikers, alongside George Weah and Didier Drogba . Despite losing some of his speed with age, he continued to maintain a consistent goalscoring rate as a striker, due to his ability to get into good positions and time his attacking runs, as shown by his goal in
21460-570: Was sacked on 7 December. He continued in this capacity until José Morais was hired as Şimşek's permanent replacement on 6 January 2016. On 31 January 2018, after leaving Antalyaspor by mutual consent, Eto'o joined league rivals Konyaspor on a two-and-a-half-year contract. He signed for Qatar SC in August 2018. In February 2019 he said he wished to continue playing for a further year. On 7 September 2019, Eto'o announced his retirement from football. Eto'o earned his first cap with Cameroon one day before his 16th birthday on 9 March 1997, in
21608-401: Was unable to lead the national side to honours during UEFA Euro 2004 . This dip in success was compounded when Arsenal failed again to secure back-to-back league titles when they lost out to Chelsea in the 2004–05 season , although Arsenal did win the FA Cup (the Final of which Henry missed through injury). Henry maintained his reputation as one of Europe's most feared strikers as he led
21756-418: Was very gracious to teammates after the game, saying, "It has been a team effort although only one person gets the award. We've worked hard all season and have got our just rewards." Eto'o also contributed six goals during Barcelona's run to the 2005–06 Champions League title. In the final , Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off early on for bringing down Eto'o just outside the penalty area, but
21904-465: Was where he wanted to be and refused to compare himself to Ibrahimović saying, "I'm Samuel Eto'o and I don't want to compare myself to anyone. I believe the victories I have earned up to now can contribute to giving the right value to my name." On 8 August, Eto'o scored on his competitive debut in the 2009 Supercoppa Italiana as Inter lost 1–2 to Lazio . Two weeks later, Eto'o scored from the penalty spot against Bari in his first Serie A match. In
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