FC Barcelona's visit to Rayo this Tuesday (9:30 p.m. CEST) will have a very particular threat for the Vallecas team. Etienne Eto'o, son of former culé striker Samuel Eto'o, will be among the substitutes at coach Iñigo Pérez's disposal against Hansi Flick's team. The Cameroonian striker has not yet made his debut with the first team, but he left a good impression in the preseason.
Etienne turned 22 on August 18 and hopes that 2024-25 will be his first great season in Europe, after passing through the youth teams of Mallorca, Real Oviedo, UD Poblense and Unión Collado. Although the Madrid team signed him thinking about reinforcing the reserve team, Pérez included him in the squad for the duel against the culés, which will be the first in Vallecas for Rayo.
For Eto'o this is his second call-up, as he was also on the bench against Real Sociedad in Anoeta (1-2 victory). The Balearic forward arrived free from Unión Collado, where he shone last season in the Tercera RFEF. After completing the summer tour with Rayo's first team (he added an assist), the Basque coach has taken him into account for the beginning of 2024-25 as an offensive alternative alongside Sergio Camello, Olympic champion with Spain.
Eto'Or reappears on the path of Barça 14 years later
For Barça, the surname Eto'o will not go unnoticed this Tuesday in Vallecas if the 22-year-old player gets minutes. His father, Samuel, spent five seasons at the club in which he won two Champions Leagues (he scored in both finals), in addition to six other titles and scoring 130 goals (eighth highest scorer for the club) in 199 games. Barça and the legendary Cameroonian forward crossed paths for the last time in 2010, when the then '9' of Inter Milan eliminated the Catalans in the Champions League semi-finals. Currently, the one from Douala presides over his country's federation.