Eto’o Drops €3 million Payout Case Against Barca

Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o has dropped his legal case against Barcelona after having demanded three million euros he said was owed from his transfer to Inter Milan in July 2009, the Spanish club said on Tuesday.

“Barcelona would like to make public their thanks to Samuel Eto’o for his willingness to bring this contentious issue to an end,” the European champions said in a statement. “He was one of the greatest goal-scorers in the club’s history.”

The Cameroon forward, who is now with Russian Premier League Anzhi Makhachkala, went to Inter as part of a swap deal with Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Swede Ibrahimovic, now with AC Milan, cost Barca a fee of 46 million euros while Eto’o was valued at 20 million euros.

Eto’o had based his demand on Spanish Players Union (AFE) rules, whereby a player has the right to claim 15 percent of any transfer fee.

Barca’s legal services countered by saying the AFE ruling was only applicable to transfers between Spanish clubs, Reuters reported.