Fenerbahce manager and footballing icon Jose Mourinho once said a former Everton striker should have won the Ballon d’Or in his career.
Having worked with Fenerbahce since 2024, Mourinho’s stint in Turkey is the latest in his illustrious career as a manager. Famously, Mourinho guided Porto to the 2004 Champions League title, earning him a move to Chelsea which would last for three years.
The Portuguese has since managed Inter Milan, Real Madrid, returned to Chelsea for a second stint, then worked with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Roma. In total, Mourinho has won eight league titles, two Champions Leagues, a Europa League, a Conference League and seven domestic cup competitions.
Unsurprisingly, a manager who has worked at such a large number of high-profile clubs has worked with some incredible players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Frank Lampard and Javier Zanetti to name just a few. Mourinho has carved out both a legacy and reputation, with his opinions often being agreed with by the majority.
As such, when he spoke about a particular player who should have won the Ballon d’Or, he named a player that many also feel should have lifted the prestigious award.
‘Difficult to Understand’ How Eto’o Never Won a Ballon d’Or
Mourinho believes his former striker was worthy of the award
Samuel Eto'o
Speaking to Cameroon Radio as per BBC back in 2019, Mourinho said that striker Samuel Eto’o should have been the recipient of at least one Ballon d’Or. The Cameroonian icon retired in 2019 after a 22-year career that saw him play for some of the best teams in world football, including Barcelona and Inter Milan.
With the latter, Eto’o won a continental treble in the 2009/10 season under Mourinho’s management, with Inter lifting the Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League. Later in their careers, the pair would reunite at Chelsea, when Eto’o moved to Stamford Bridge in 2013.
Speaking about his former striker, Mourinho stated:
"It's difficult to understand how Samuel Eto'o never won the Ballon d'Or with the impressive career he had. Samuel played for the best teams in the best leagues in the world. He scored an incredible amount of goals and was successful in different leagues.
"He played three Champions League finals, winning two with Barcelona and scoring in both finals. He also won one Champions League at Inter and won many league titles. He was the best striker in the world for several years and I think he deserved a Ballon d'Or but these are things out of our control."
A joint-record four-time African Player of the Year, Eto’o spent much of his career in Spain, first with Mallorca before joining Barcelona in 2004. From there, he went to Inter, departing for Russia in 2011 and moving to England in 2013, joining Everton just one year after he signed for Chelsea.
Samuel Eto'o Career Stats
Appearances
Goals
Assists
Major Teams Represented
Club Honours Won
Given his calibre as a player, Mourinho is certainly valid in at least questioning how the striker never won an award that many feel his form deserved.
( All stats are fromTransfermarktand are correct as of 19/03/2025 )
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