March 10 – Former Cameroon star Samuel Eto’o was honoured on Monday for his “inspiring” stand against racism as he became the third recipient of the European Medal of Tolerance awarded by a leading anti-discrimination group.
The European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation announced the award to the three-time Champions League winner and four-time African Footballer of the Year at a gala dinner in London.
Eto’o, who now plays with Sampdoria, famously tried to walk off the pitch during a Spanish domestic game in 2006 due to the racist abuse he was suffering before being persuaded to continue.
“Since that day, I decided I will stand up and fight against abuse,” he said after receiving his award. “The only path is to stand up and shout. Only we can make it stop. Because for certain, nobody is going to do it for us.”
Eto’o started out with Real Madrid but made his name at Barcelona before moving on to Inter Milan, Chelsea, Everton and Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala. Now retired from international football, he is Cameroon’s top scorer with 56 goals from 118 appearances and recently returned to Italy to join Sampdoria.
The ECTR is a non-governmental organisation founded in 2008 to promote understanding between communities. It is largely made up of European former presidents and prime ministers.
Its president Moshe Kantor, also the president of the European Jewish Congress, said recent racist incidents showed the problem was still “very much alive and well” in the game. “There is a very strong crisis in Europe of racism, radicalisation, neo-Nazism and anti-semitism,” he told AFP. “We can no longer pretend that hate is a marginal issue in Europe.”
Sharing the honour with Eto’o was the FARE, the influential anti-discrimination network that monitors behaviour at stadiums across Europe.
Kantor said Eto’o was selected for his “personal leadership and devotion to combating manifestations of racism and intolerance. He has found the courage and will to stand against the racists, building awareness and inspiring fellow footballers and millions of football fans.”
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