Kuruvhi sign Barcalona's Eto'o!?!?!

[NUFCMVFC]

No disrespect to Kuruvchi and Uzbekistan but at first I was thinking this may have been some kind of prank where someone hacked the clubs site or something?


Kuruvchi sign Eto’o (http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_167674019.html)

http://images.the-afc.com/images/common/articleimage/primary/webPrimary.jpg
Kuruvchi official website.

TASHKENT: Kuruvchi, AFC Champions League quarter-finalists from Uzbekistan, have signed Barcelona’s Cameroonian star Samuel Eto’o, according to an announcement on their official website.

The Uzbek club managed to rope in Eto’o for a six-month spell which will cover their AFC Champions League quarter-final campaign when they go up against Iran’s Saipa.

“The striker will arrive in Tashkent on July 17th and play in the second half of the championship (league) in Uzbekistan,” said the statement.

Eto’o’s first game for Mirdjalol Kasimov’s side is likely to be their Uzbekistan Cup fixture on July 22 against Dynamo Samarqand.

The website noted that Eto’o’s presence would be of the “greatest benefit” to Kuruvchi as they mount a challenge for the continental honours.

Kuruvchi, who are currently leading the local league standings ahead of Pakhtakor, qualified for the last eight of the AFC Champions League from a tough group comprising last year’s runners-up Sepahan of Iran, twice champions Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia and Syrian outfit Al Ittihad.


Massive coup obviously if this has substance, you hear about players cashingin in Saudi Arabia and Qatar etc but not Uzbekistan, and Eto'o obviously strikes people as one who is still pretty much in him prime and could easily get a loan deal with a decent Middle to Upper Tier Euro club?

Is there something I've missed regarding Eto'o?

Hopefully it's some kind of sign that Asia will get taken more seriously etc but considering the AFC deemed the Uzbek league to not be worthy of ACL places (despite their clubs being good value)...

[NULL]

Very nice, hi-five.

[juanpabloangel]

hahahaha

[azza]

I was semi-expecting the 'you are an idiot' when you clicked on the link, didn't happen

[The Technician]

Wow, that's amazing.

[wc-remix]

Wtf??

Merrick misses out again.

[El Zilcho]

Didnt he previously go on loan to a Gulf state club earlier in his career?

Edit.... i think i was thinking of Mohammed Kallon... he is currently available on a free transfer having been released by AEK in May.

[danny_mvfc]

this cannot be fucking serious.

he was linked with AC and Spurs like 2 weeks ago.

this will not happen.

[El Zilcho]

this will not happen.

Money talks louder than anything else. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauro_Zarate

[danny_mvfc]

Yeah but i think there were ownership problems with Zarate, just like Tevez etc, otherwise he would have gone to Europe sooner.

And surely football in Uzbekistan can't be that lucrative. I wouldn't be surprised if players were paid with livestock.

This is the leagues top scorer last year:
http://cache.eb.com/eb/image?id=10489&rendTypeId=4

[El Zilcho]

Yeah but i think there were ownership problems with Zarate, just like Tevez etc, otherwise he would have gone to Europe sooner.

And surely football in Uzbekistan can't be that lucrative. I wouldn't be surprised if players were paid with livestock.

This is the leagues top scorer last year:


It really doesnt matter whether the football is lucrative or not. If there is a billionaire willing to stump up the cash the players will come.

Zarate went to Qatar for the money, to secure his and his families future, simple as that.

[Surfside]

Eto'o played for Al-Ittihad on loan a few years ago, probs just a huge pay-packet and he'll head back to a major European club in January

[El Zilcho]

Eto'o played for Al-Ittihad on loan a few years ago, probs just a huge pay-packet and he'll head back to a major European club in January

Ah yeah i thought so... not listed on his wiki profile so i thought maybe i had him mixed up.

[wc-remix]

rofl @ danny being furious

[Bone]

rofl @ danny being furious
More so ROFL at @ spurs

[wc-remix]

rofl again @ arsenals trophy cabinet this year being as full as leicesters

[TechnicalArea]

Barcalona reckons it's bullshit. From F365 (http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_3817974,00.html):

UZBEKISTAN SIDE CLAIM ETO`O COUP
Posted 14/07/08 13:49

Uzbekistan League side Kuruvchi claim to have reached a deal to sign Barcelona forward Samuel Eto'o - though the Catalan giants have laughed off the news.

Eto'o, who has been told he is not part of coach Pep Guardiola's plans, is expected to leave the Nou Camp this summer and has been linked with moves to Serie A and the Premier League.

On Monday morning, though, the Uzbekistan League leaders announced in an official statement on their website that they had landed the 27-year-old forward on a six-month deal.

The news was confirmed by Kuruvchi sporting director Bahtier Babayev, who has said Eto'o will sign with the club later this week on a contract to be determined by performances.

"Eto'o will arrive in Tashkent on Thursday and he will sign a contract with our club, at least up until the end of 2008," Babayev said.

"The term of the contract will depend on our performance in the AFC Champions League. We will play Saipa in the quarter-finals and Eto'o is our main purchase before the knockout stage of the tournament.

"If we can agree with the player, he will continue to play for our club in the future."

Babayev also insisted that the seemingly unlikely transfer had been made possible due to good relations between the Primera Liga side and the Tashkent club.

"The defining moment of the transfer was not money, but the friendly mutual relations between the management of our club and Barcelona," he said.

"The personal friendship between presidents of the clubs has noticeably lowered the transfer fee."

The official club statement which confirmed the transfer read: "(Kuruvchi have) signed a contract with Cameroonian forward Samuel Eto'o from Barcelona.

"The striker will arrive in Tashkent on July 17 and will play in the second half of the championship of Uzbekistan."

However, despite the Uzbekistan club's insistence that the transfer will go ahead, Barcelona denied any knowledge of the move.

An official spokesperson for the Nou Camp side said: "Nobody at the club knows anything about this. I don't think it's very likely."

[G is for geoffrey]

Rofolophagus!

[3_Libras]

You need Barcelona to tell you its bullshit?

[danny_mvfc]

I'm still waiting on news from Barcalona.

[take_no_prisoners]

settle down danny. hes signing for donny rovers

[a_mac]

this cannot be fucking serious.

he was linked with AC and Spurs like 2 weeks ago.

this will not happen.

He woke up to himself.

[Curva Nord]

its ok

zarate is at a real club now

[mulhollanddrive]

Assholes Uzbekistan!

[Maco Nick]

Barcelona have laughed off these rumours already

A spokesperson from the Spanish club said: "Nobody at the club knows anything about this and I really don't think it is very likely."

[NULL]

MACEDONIAN NICHOLAS l

[browniezola]

this is a worry.

[juanpabloangel]

sydney fc are also in the running to sign him

[maktifo]

Could be true. Presedents of both clubs have good business relations outside football and money is no issue. Barca wants 42 mil euro the Uzbeks have no issue paying that.

[RedtilIDye]

Eto'o ready to consider Uzbekistan transfer?
18 July 2008

TASHKENT, July 17 (Reuters) - Unsettled Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o is considering a move to join Uzbek club Kuruvchi.

'I have several good offers from various clubs at present,' Eto'o told a news conference in Tashkent after arriving in the Uzbek capital.

'I'm planning to return to Barcelona and starting from Saturday, I will consider all my options, including the one from Kuruvchi.'



article here (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=555928&sec=europe&cc=5739)


---------------------
With the amount of money they're rumoured to be offering him, it wouldn't surprise me if he goes there for a year.

If this happens, and Kuruvchi beats Saipa and Adelaide beats Kashima then we could see Samuel Eto'o at Hindmarsh...

[The Frederick]

No goddamn way. Kuruvchi? Kuruv-fucking-chi? You cannot be serious!

[3_Libras]

Hes considering it, whats the big deal. Means nothing. Ronaldinho considered Man City aswell remember?.... :)

[broxham22]

i'd rather play for Kuruvchi than Tottenham

[The Frederick]

Yeah, who wouldn't want this?:

http://cache.eb.com/eb/image?id=10489&rendTypeId=4

[3_Libras]

Fuckin peasants

[broxham22]

Yeah, who wouldn't want this?:

http://cache.eb.com/eb/image?id=10489&rendTypeId=4

yeah they look like tottenham fans

[jimihendrix70]

who cares if he goes there anyway he has done a thing for about 2 seasons now
he's fkn shit imo

[DeMMa]

^ Agree with this post 100%

[stormanimal]

lol crazy "Churkiy" Uzbeks

[dechardonay]

http://www.pfc-kuruvchi.com/eng/news_details.asp?newsID=626

that's what he looks like wearing a kuruvchi jersey.

http://www.pfc-kuruvchi.com/eng/videogallery_details.asp?newsID=84

video of interview, i have no idea if it's in english or not as i can't be bothered signing into my firewall to watch it. besides, i think i've clocked up enough traffic for relatively work-related purposes.