“Messi played with me, I did not play with Messi” – When Samuel Eto’o offered hostile reply to reporter after Lionel Messi question

Samuel Eto’o was not pleased with a question directed to him about Lionel Messi and belligerently claimed that the Argentine played with him and not vice versa. The Cameroon legend hinted that he was the senior in the team and deserved more respect than Messi.

Eto’o and Messi shared the dressing room at Barcelona before the striker was shipped off to Inter Milan in a deal to sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The two players shared the pitch on 105 occasions and combined for 24 goals.

During an interaction in 2021, Eto’o snapped at a reporter asking what Ansu Fati could learn from the Argentine – as he himself had once played alongside him. The Cameroonian said:

“No. He played with me – it is different. Messi played with me. I did not play with Messi. In my time, Messi played with me. It is totally different. It is totally different.”

However, Eto’o has always backed Lionel Messi as the best player in the world and believes that the Argentine is well ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Samuel Eto’o claims Lionel Messi thanked him for career-changing advice

Samuel Eto’o recently claimed that Lionel Messi thanked him for a bit of career-changing advice. The Cameroon legend did not disclose the advice but claimed that it helped the Argentine fix his game.

Speaking to DAZN earlier this year, Eto’o said:

“[Messi] confessed to me that, thanks to my advice, which I am not going to reveal, his career had changed. One day he said: ‘Thanks to Samuel, my career changed’. He had to fix two or three things but he has always had the talent. I am proud and happy to see that he has written history which has yet to be finished, and it will be very difficult to beat what he has written.”

He added:

“He was going up and down from La Masia to the first team. We already knew that one day Messi was going to be what he is. I am happy because he has made it in the end, thanks to himself. He showed me that nothing has changed. He is still the good person I met.”

Lionel Messi won the FIFA World Cup last year and has been touted to win his eighth Ballon d’Or this year.