FC Barcelona’s Eto’o asked radio journalist to repeat question in Spanish

FC Barcelona has recommended Samuel Eto’o make a greater effort to learn Catalan in order to avoid a similar situation to that which occurred last Sunday in Racing Santander’s El Sardinero stadium.

After the match, that Barcelona won 0-3, a journalist from Catalunya Radio asked a question in Catalan to the Cameroonian. Unable to clearly understand what was being asked, Eto’o asked the reporter to repeat the question in Spanish.

The request by Eto’o to the radio reporter caused a rumpus in the management of the club and sporting director Txiki Beriristain has met with the player in order to seek an explanation.

Beriristain urged the player to better understand Catalan and recommended that in case he does not understand a future question in Catalan, he asks for the question to be repeated but never compel anyone to change language.

Additionally, the club has met with Eto’o’s agent. Barça representatives have asked the agent to speak with Eto’o and explain to him that an attitude such as that shown in the El Sardinero adversely affects his image.

Eto’o, for his part, defended himself by saying that he had not heard the question well: ‘the journalist was to the back of me, there was a lot of noise and it was almost impossible to hear anything. It is for that reason I asked that they speak with me in Spanish.’

The Barça forward also clearly stated his respect for Catalan culture: ‘Catalonia has opened its doors to me and I’m not going to be stupid enough to bite the hand that feeds me. I love the Catalans very much and their language also.’

The controversy also reached the floor of the Catalan parliament, where Artur Mas, leader of the nationalist Convergència i Unió party, demanded that the player ask for an apology.

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