a écrit le 27 février 2006 à 8h38 By ROB HUGHES
International Herald Tribune
Published: February 27, 2006
Spanish soccer, currently the most attractive to play and to watch anywhere on earth, faces a crisis of man's inhumanity to man.
After the way Samuel Eto'o was again racially abused in Zaragoza late Saturday night, and the way he and other players reacted, not even the Royal Spanish Football Federation should be in any doubt that players from Africa and South America are on the brink of walking away from clubs in Spain, despite all the glory and money that playing there entails.
Eto'o reached breaking point after 77 minutes of his match for Barcelona in Zaragoza.
The tall, proud, whole-hearted Cameroonian, just declared Africa's player of the year for the third consecutive year, mouthed: "No more. No more. No more!"
He walked toward the exit.
Eto'o is the most coveted goal scorer in the world. He is in his prime. Chelsea in England and the big Italian clubs would buy him the instant he became available.
Friends and opponents alike intercepted him during Saturday's game. Ronaldinho, who shares a breathtaking partnership with Eto'o, rushed to him.
Two Zaragoza players, Alvaro and Ewerthon, pleaded with him not to give the bigots what they wanted.
Frank Rijkaard, the Barcelona coach, quickly turned his star striker back toward the field.
And once back, there was a reaction within minutes that seemed almost fated to silence the boo boys of La Romareda: Barcelona scored twice and won a match that until then had been fiercely contested.
The first goal was a penalty after Zaragoza's Albert Celades handled a shot from Edmilson.
Ronaldinho put that penalty into the net with more venom than necessary.
The second goal was made by Eto'o, speeding down the right flank and crossing the ball toward the near post, where Henrik Larsson pounced to score.
If a reader is by any chance uninformed as to the nationalities, or colors, of any of the above players, then no matter. They are distinguished by their skills, and most come from cultures very different from Spain's.
"It's a shame," said Rijkaard, the architect of Barcelona's multicolored, multilingual team. "Sam
International Herald Tribune
Published: February 27, 2006
Spanish soccer, currently the most attractive to play and to watch anywhere on earth, faces a crisis of man's inhumanity to man.
After the way Samuel Eto'o was again racially abused in Zaragoza late Saturday night, and the way he and other players reacted, not even the Royal Spanish Football Federation should be in any doubt that players from Africa and South America are on the brink of walking away from clubs in Spain, despite all the glory and money that playing there entails.
Eto'o reached breaking point after 77 minutes of his match for Barcelona in Zaragoza.
The tall, proud, whole-hearted Cameroonian, just declared Africa's player of the year for the third consecutive year, mouthed: "No more. No more. No more!"
He walked toward the exit.
Eto'o is the most coveted goal scorer in the world. He is in his prime. Chelsea in England and the big Italian clubs would buy him the instant he became available.
Friends and opponents alike intercepted him during Saturday's game. Ronaldinho, who shares a breathtaking partnership with Eto'o, rushed to him.
Two Zaragoza players, Alvaro and Ewerthon, pleaded with him not to give the bigots what they wanted.
Frank Rijkaard, the Barcelona coach, quickly turned his star striker back toward the field.
And once back, there was a reaction within minutes that seemed almost fated to silence the boo boys of La Romareda: Barcelona scored twice and won a match that until then had been fiercely contested.
The first goal was a penalty after Zaragoza's Albert Celades handled a shot from Edmilson.
Ronaldinho put that penalty into the net with more venom than necessary.
The second goal was made by Eto'o, speeding down the right flank and crossing the ball toward the near post, where Henrik Larsson pounced to score.
If a reader is by any chance uninformed as to the nationalities, or colors, of any of the above players, then no matter. They are distinguished by their skills, and most come from cultures very different from Spain's.
"It's a shame," said Rijkaard, the architect of Barcelona's multicolored, multilingual team. "Sam
