Samuel Eto’o has proclaimed Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola as “the best” when it comes to coaching – but says he does not love him as a person.
And the Cameroon star also spoke about how ex- Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho moulded him into the player he wanted when they were at Inter Milan.
Eto’o and Guardiola were together at Barcelona when the Catalan spent his first season in charge of the first team.
And the Blues boss typically created a few shockwaves by making it plain that his star striker – as well as big names Ronaldinho, Deco and Gianluigi Zambrotta – did not figure in his plans.
The other three were quickly moved on while Guardiola, and football director Txiki Begiristain, tried to convince Eto’o that an offer of big money from Uzbekistan was a good deal.
Eto’o refused and responded with goals in pre-season, before contributing to Barcelona’s La Liga title in the new manager’s first season.
And after one season, Guardiola got his wish by moving Eto’o on – and there has been no love lost between them ever since.
Eto’o opened up on their relationship again this week, via AS , saying: “I love him as a coach, but not as a person.
“I learned to play football with him. He interprets things better than anyone. He's the best, but of course he loses matches.”
Eto’o spoke more warmly about Mourinho, under whom he won the treble of Italian league and cup, and Champions League, with Inter Milan in 2010.
“He left me a month on the bench for a month and made me warm up in injury time,” said Eto’o.
“In his head, he was pricking me to make me his own player. I talked to him in his office. It was what he wanted from me, to get back to my best level.
“I did. We won everything. We had a team of eleven warriors, we won differently.”
