Breaking Down the Samuel Eto’o- Zlatan Ibrahimovic Trade.

It’s official now as both Eto’o Fils and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have signed for their respective new clubs. Eto’o Fils moves to Inter Milan of Italy while Ibrahimovic moves to the Nou Camp of Barcelona, Spain. Inter Milan got another player in the trade in addition to some cash of close to 25 million euros. Eto’o has been unsettled in the Nou Camp in the past few seasons with constant rumors about a possible trade or move to a different club. Even after winning the prestigious champions league with the club in 2005 there was some tension in 2007 when a new coach was brought in. Eto’o did stay with the club and had his usual productive goal scoring season. This time around after winning another champions league, Barca and Eto’o agreed to split ways.

Barcelona has been making some very shrewd moves of late and none had backfired so far. They got rid of Brazilian star forward Ronaldinho two seasons ago despite the fact that he was the driving force of their 2005 champions league victory. The move did not backfire as Argentina ace Lionel Messi stepped in and carried well the play making role of the team. Ronaldinho has not been the same since leaving Barca. To his credit, he had been at the top of his game for such a long period of time before his move to AC Milan. This time FC Barcelona is getting rid of somebody that has been their top goal getter for the past four seasons. Eto’o did like to stay in Barcelona but the relationship with the current coach had gotten to the stage that the later has openly express the view that he has no future plans for the former in the club.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is 27 years of age and so is Samuel Eto’o Fils and a straight up swap of the players would have been an even trade in my opinion. Just looking at the trade now before the players take to the field, I would have to say that Barcelona gave up much to get rid of Eto’o Fils.
Ibrahimovic can carry a club by himself partly due to his physical attributes, but he is going to a club that is full of play makers and his role in the new club would not be like the one in Inter Milan in which he was their motor. He is going into a good club though and his chances of getting a champions league ring has increased a bit. The timing is a little off as Barca is coming off a champion’s league victory last season and back to back champions’ league trophies are not easy to come by. Just ask Manchester United in their quest to repeat as champions last season. So he might have to wait a few years before getting the converted trophy.

Samuel Eto’o Fils has already gotten two of those trophies and good for him because although he is going to be making more money than he did with Barcelona, the last time an Italian team won the Champions league was when AC of Milan did it in the year 2006. I do not even remember the last time Inter of Milan won the champions league. They have been champions of the Italian league for the past two seasons.

Samuel Eto’o Fils is noted for his goal scoring ability but the Italian league is not a very friendly one for goal scorers. Defensive play is the order of the day in the league and he would not be getting as many goals as he did playing in the La Liga. The last big name that I can remember who scored goals with flair at the serie A is Marco Van Basten of AC Milan and the leading goal scorers of Europe have not been coming out of the serie A. He would have a great coach in Jose Mourinho and together they can make a move towards getting a champions league trophy for Inter Milan. It is not going to be easy at all because if I have to make a prediction now as to the favorites for that trophy next season, I would be looking at Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, the ever present Liverpool and then maybe Inter of Milan.