GOAL

Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero has risked the ire of striker Samuel Eto'o by describing him as "somewhere in between" a champion and a rip-off.

Following a turbulent first month at Sampdoria, the striker has split the opinion of the club's chief who hinted he doubts he is 33 years old

The veteran attacker, 33, signed for the seventh-placed Serie A club in the January transfer window after failing to score regularly for Everton, where he had spent just five months following his 2014 departure from Chelsea.

However, after just one week at the Italian side, the Cameroon international was on the verge of tearing up his contract after a colossal fall-out with management after refusing to attend an extra training session.

Head coach Sinisa Mihajlovic insisted a week later that both parties had but the incident behind them, but Ferrero has stoked the flames again with a dig at the former Barcelona and Inter star's legacy.

"Eto'o's somehow in between a champion and a rip-off," the club chief told Canale 5. "I am not the one who needs to comment on him. Eto'o is Eto'o."

Last season, the striker inadvertently hit the headlines when Jose Mourinho was secretly recorded questioning the striker's age and Ferrero has also revealed that Sampdoria are stumped at how old he is.

"Mourinho wondered how old he was and we haven't worked that out yet either," he added.

Eto'o is yet to score in three appearances since joining Sampdoria, although he did bag an assist in his last run out against Chievo.