Eto'o fury at monkey-chant abuse

Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o tried to leave the pitch after being subjected to monkey chanting against Real Zaragoza last night.

With Barca being held 0-0 at La Romareda, the home fans began directing abuse at Eto’o.

The Cameroon striker – who responded to similar chants last season by dancing like a monkey after scoring a goal – was infuriated and went to leave the pitch, only to be convinced not to by team-mates, opponents and the referee, who had already tried to stop the actions of supporters who have already been fined for such behaviour in the last 12 months.

Eto’o did stay on the field as Barca went on to win 2-0 thanks to Ronaldinho’s penalty and Henrik Larsson’s second, set up by Eto’o.

The win moved Barca nine points clear at the top of the Primera Liga but the match was overshadowed by the abuse.

The episode was the latest in a string of racist incidents to have plagued Spanish football over the last few years.

Eto’o has been on the receiving end before – including at Zaragoza’s stadium following his goal in Barca’s 4-1 win last season – while England’s black players faced monkey chants from a section of Spain fans in a friendly in the Santiago Bernabeu in November 2004.