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Real Madrid chief in Eto`o plea (17.11.2005)
Real Madrid vice president Emilio Butragueno has asked his team`s fans to not jeer Barcelona`s Samuel Eto`o when the bitter rivals meet in the Spanish league this weekend.
Eto`o, who began his Spanish career with Madrid, will be returning to the Santiago Bernabeu stadium for the first time since he chanted an offensive remark about his former team during Barcelona`s title celebrations at the end of last season.
The Cameroon striker later apologised, saying he had always been grateful to Madrid for bringing him to Europe.
He was subsequently fined US$14,000 by the Spanish Football Federation.
"I understand perfectly that there are people who don`t like what he did," Butragueno said on Wednesday.
"Then he apologised. I would ask people who might be thinking of devoting their energies against Eto`o to use them in favour of our players."
Eto`o, Africa`s player of the year the past two years, made another apology to Madrid
andits supporters earlier this week.
"I never meant to show a lack of respect to Real Madrid or anyone else," Eto`o told Spanish state TV.
Madrid defender Ivan Helguera predicted Eto`o would receive a rough reception in Saturday`s game, similar to that afforded to Luis Figo in previous matches by Barcelona fans.
Figo was given a torrid time on his visits to Barcelona after leaving the Catalan club for Madrid in 2000.
Eto`o arrived at Madrid in 1996 as a teenager but, after loan spells with Leganes and Espanyol, failed to gain a regular place in the first team.
He then enjoyed a successful five years at Mallorca, before being transferred in 2004 to Barcelona, which he helped win the league title for the first time in six years by scoring 24 goals.
Eto`o leads the league`s scoring charts this season with 10 goals.
Madrid are third in the league with 21 points from 11 games, a point and a place behind Barcelona.
