Samuel Eto'o: Why His Transfer to Anzhi Makhachkala Is Terrible for Soccer

The football/soccer world is talking about the signing of Samuel Eto'o with Anzhi Makhachkala for the sum of $29 million per season. The deal appears to have a lot of positive factors for Russia and European football.

The deal will give Russia a positive spin when it comes to football especially when it will host the 2018 FIFA World Cup. I am ambivalent about the deal to the point that it could be terrible for European football and Eto'o.

The club Anzhi Makhachkala is located in the Dagestan province of Russia next to Chechnya. The owner of the club is Suleiman Kerimov, whose worth according to Forbes Magazine is $7.8 billion.

I wanted to present my reasons (albeit briefly) for the transfer being terrible for European football and Eto'o. I write it taking into account the presence of friends and family in Russia who have supported me in Bleacher Report.

Possible Violence In Region

The area of Makhachkala is suffering from the separatist violence that has affected Chechnya since the 1990s. The violence has not subsided and can present security problems for European football and Eto'o

According to an article published in The Jerusalem Post, a female suicide bomber attempted to enter a police station at Gubden close to Makhachkala on February 14, 2011. The result was one death and six people wounded.

The Jerusalem Post also reported that another separatist was killed in a shootout with police forces in Makhachkala. The result was the wounding of the police involved in the shootout.

The possible violence in the region of Makhachkala is not only political, it can also be sports related.

Hooliganism

The match between Zenit St. Petersburg and Anzhi Makhachkala on July 24, 2011 does not need explanation. The video by Russia Today of the match between the two teams show police from Makhachkala imposing order after the match.

The result was the victory of Zenit St. Petersburg over Anzhi Makhachkala. Aleksander Kerzhakov scored the only goal in the 79th minute.

The result was a clash between the supporters of Zenit St. Petersburg and the Makhachkala police. I looked at the video in YouTube and felt that this bodes ill for Eto'o and European football.

Distance for Training

The players for Anzhi Makhachkala live in the outskirts of Moscow for the reasons that have been mentioned. They travel by airplane to the home games at Makhachkala and fly 1,250 miles or 15 times during a regular season.

Conclusion

It is hoped that I am wrong and that the transfer of Eto'o is a positive force for him and European football. It remains to be seen what will transpire but continued monitoring of this news is needed.