Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o 'damaging' to team spirit, says Roberto Carlos

Roberto Carlos, the former Real Madrid and Brazil full-back, has warned Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho about the "damaging" influence Samuel Eto'o can have in the dressing room following his surprise transfer to Stamford Bridge.
 Carlos, who managed Eto'o during his time in charge of Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala, claimed that the Cameroonian almost forced him to quit after persistently interfering with matters outside of his jurisdiction.

"There's a part of him that thinks 'I, and not the group', which is really damaging," said Carlos. "When a footballer, instead of playing, is interested in signing players who are his friends . . . it's confusing and strange. He did everything at Anzhi, except play football."

Depite his criticism of the new Chelsea striker who could make his debut against Everton at the weekend, Carlos admitted that he was fond of the 32-year-old.

"I've known Eto'o since I was 16, and from that time on he's always been a good guy who I've liked a lot. He's a good person," Carlos said in an interview with Brazilian newspaper Globoesporte.

However, Carlos added that managing the forward at Anzhi Makhachkala was a different matter entirely.
 "I came to the club and in my first year we finished in the top five. We managed to professionalise the team. In the second year, we signed Eto'o and I had control of the team - I organised the players and worked with the coach. I put Anzhi among the best.

"With the arrival of Eto'o, with the values of everyone involved, I had some little problems in the dressing room and had to talk to the Russian players and explain why Eto'o was there.

"However, a moment arrived when Eto'o thought to interfere with my work, to control the club, taking my position and that of Guus [Hiddink, the coach].

"We talked about one thing, and then he went to the players and talked about another. That stressed me out and I warned that I would pack my bags and go.

"No one believed me because I had a four-year contract. But then I called Anzhi and came to an agreement."

Carlos has subsequently left Anzhi, while Eto'o moved to west London after the Russian club's owner, Suleyman Kerimov, ordered a firesale of players, which included midfielder Willian's move to Chelsea.


Information from telegraph.co.uk was used in this report.