Former star player Samuel Eto'o apologized for brutally attacking a man outside a stadium at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday, Dec. 6.
Samuel Eto’o, the former Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Chelsea striker was leaving the 974 Stadium in Doha, after watching Brazil's 4-1 victory over South Korea in their Round of 16 match on Tuesday, Dec. 6. While leaving the match, he had paused to pose for photos with fans. Shocking footage of the brutal attack shows him attacking a man holding a video camera, Marca reported.
Even though the former Barcelona and Inter Milan forward was initially held back by people in his entourage, he then got clear and appeared to aim a kick at the man, who fell backward to the ground.
"I had a violent altercation with a person who was probably an Algerian supporter," Eto'o wrote in statements posted in French and English on his Twitter account.
"I would like to apologize for losing my temper and reacting in a way that does not match my personality," said Eto'o, who has represented Qatar's World Cup organizing committee as a Global Legacy Ambassador since 2019.
An Algerian social media personality Said Mamouni, later published a video on YouTube saying that he was the person who was attacked by Eto'o. He also stated that he was at a Qatari police station to file a complaint against Eto'o, CNN reported.
"Samuel had a fight with me. He hit me, and the one accompanying him pushed me. I'm here to lodge a complaint and he also smashed my camera," Mamouni said.
He said that Eto'o became violent after he asked him whether he had bribed Gambian referee Bakary Gassama in a controversial World Cup qualifying game between Cameroon and Algeria. In the match, Cameroon won the second leg 2-1 in the final moments of the match and qualified for the World Cup on the away goals rule.
"I have been the target of insults and allegations of cheating without any evidence," Eto'o wrote Tuesday. "I pledge to continue to resist the relentless provocation and daily harassment of some Algerian supporters."
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