Etienne Eto'o Pineda: "Bearing this name on the shirt is difficult"

©Transfermarkt

Actually, at the Under-17 World Cup in Brazil Etienne Eto’o Pineda was supposed to be in the spotlight of world football for the first time, but it didn’t happen. Politics foiled the son of former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o. Players like Mallorca born Eto’o Pineda, who wanted to take the field for his father’s nation of birth, Cameroon, were not allowed to do so in the under-15 and under-17 teams as they were not active players in the country. For the 17-year-old central-forward, who is under contract at Atlético Baleares U19, no exception was granted.

"It was a very uncomfortable situation that I do not wish anyone to have," says Eto'o Pineda in an interview with Transfermarkt. The striker had completed the training camp in Brasília with the Cameroonian Under-17 team and scored his first goal in the friendly against Brasília FC.

“From one moment to the next, they canceled my dream and that of my European teammates because of a decree. Politics affected us in this case.

"We were in training for many weeks and focused on showing the best of us in a big tournament like the World Cup, and finally we had to go home without playing."

Nevertheless, the experience in Brazil also formed a positive bound as Eto’o Pineda got to wear the Cameroon dress for the first time. "I got great impressions, made friends and also scored a goal in one of the friendlies," says Eto'o Pineda, who also admits: "Unfortunately, the results of the national team were not as expected. I and my teammates were powerless.” The player says referring to the ban on European players. The team received defeats in all three games in the group stage.

Eto'o Pineda, who grew up on the Balearics, could also appear in Spain, but initially opted for his father's homeland. "Cameroon offered it to me and Spain didn't, but I hope that with my work and persistence, Spain will one day nominate me and then I will have to make a final, final decision - although the experience with Cameroon was very positive."

Asensio & co These players came from RCD's youth ranks Overview In Mallorca, Eto'o Pineda started playing football with RCD, where his father arose to a star striker between 2000 and 2004. “It was a pleasure for me to take my first steps at Real Mallorca, but sometimes you have to make decisions, and that's what I had to do“, Eto'o Pineda, explains his recent move to Atlético Baleares.

With a world-famous name on his back, the young striker always feels the requirement „to play on a higher level than another boy, who’s not the son of Samuel Eto’o.“

„Bearing this name on the shirt is difficult, as from an early age people expected to see Samuel Eto’o at his best in me. Many people wanted me to play like him, but of course with the body of a child or teenager. That is really hard and frankly impossible."

Of course, a popular name is no guarantee for a great career. “There are people who think that you’re fortunate. They see only the good aspects and take it as natural, that everything is all right.

„The positive thing is, even as a 17-year-old I have a high frustration tolerance and I am mentally much stronger because I overcame this pressure.“

Father Samuel Eto’o has always been on hand with help and advice for his son. “When I was younger I always got advice, more than now. He always told me to work hard, that this career is hard, that I should never stop chasing my dreams and be hungry for goals. I also owe a lot to my mother that I always stayed down to earth and always had a clear head.“

On the pitch, Eto'o Pineda differs from his father, "is bigger and wirier, positionally more likely to be found in the attacking midfield, but also the offense," explains Tobias Blaseio of Transfermarkt Spain. Eto'o Pineda describes himself as a striker who “likes to play a little further down because I have more presence on the field and I distribute more balls. I love scoring goals and helping my teammates to score goals. I consider myself a player who can have other characteristics due to his stature, which other players may not have.“

Meanwhile, Atlético Baleares director Patrick Messow emphasises: „Of course his popular father was not the reason, why we brought him in. It was because of his abilities. A striker profile like his we didn’t have before in the youth team. He is a tall striker, relatively fast for his size, good with his back to the goal, and he likes to look for the finish.“

“A really good boy, also with a really good character. He definitely has the potential. He only focuses on playing football and his school education. You have an absolutely positive, calm and normal impression of that boy. You can definitely see that he has his father's running style. But the coolness is still missing in front of the goal.“

Like his father, Eto'o Pineda, of course, is aiming for a professional career in the future. "My goal is to work harder, to do my best every day and every moment, and then everything will come to me," says Eto'o Pineda. "The most important thing is to be happy and enjoy what I like, namely to play football."