Samuel Eto’o faces legal battle over child maintenance allegations

Former Barcelona and Inter Milan forward, Samuel Eto’o, is currently entangled in a legal dispute with his 21-year-old daughter, Annie, who has initiated legal proceedings against him, alleging failure to pay child maintenance.

This legal challenge adds a complex layer to Eto’o’s public image, intertwining his illustrious sports legacy with personal and legal complications.

Annie, born in Padova, Italy, in 2002, is the daughter of Anna Maria Barranca. The strained relationship between Eto’o and Annie has been a longstanding issue, as the football icon has not been an active presence in her life.

Despite a DNA test conducted in 2015 confirming Samuel Eto’o as Annie’s biological father, and an agreement to pay Barranca €10,000 in child maintenance, it is alleged that Eto’o has not fulfilled his financial obligations, leading to the current legal confrontation.

The situation is further complicated by Annie’s current status as a full-time university student in Milan, dependent on her struggling mother for financial support.

This intensifies the urgency for the child support that Eto’o was contractually bound to provide to help the girl offset education fees.

Notably, this is not the first instance of Samuel Eto’o facing such allegations.

His daughter, Erika Do Rosario Nieves, also accused him of neglecting child maintenance responsibilities in Spain.

In February 2022, Erika was officially recognized as Eto’o’s daughter, resulting in a court order for him to pay €1,400 per month in child support, retroactively applied from 2018 when the parental legal proceedings was instituted.

The current legal case involving Annie represents another chapter in the series of legal challenges related to child support that Eto’o has encountered, as he continues life after a successful playing career.

His standing as a former football star and current head of the Cameroon FA adds a high-profile dimension to these personal and legal difficulties, marking a challenging period for the acclaimed athlete