Samuel Eto'o has been declared the biological father of a 22-year-old woman and ordered to pay allowance to her despite no acknowledgement on his part.
According to The Mirror, Erika Do Rosario Nieves has been named as Eto'o's daughter at court number 83 in Madrid, with the Cameroonian football legend not present for any proceedings.
As per Spanish press agency EFE, the former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker say met a woman called Adileusa in a nightclub back in 1997.
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At the time he had been playing for Leganes on loan from Real Madrid.
She fell pregnant in February 1998 but it's said Eto'o stopped returning her calls and messages and a lawsuit launched in 2018 claimed he told her he "preferred that she did not give birth to the child."
However, Adileusa gave birth at the Alarcon Foundation hospital in Madrid in 1999 when Eto'o was on loan at Espanyol.
Four years ago, she set up the lawsuit and submitted biological evidence to prove that Erika was indeed Eto'o's daughter.
And finally, the court has ruled in favour of Adileusa and Erika.
As a result, Eto'o must pay €1,400 (£1,167) per month to Erika and the payment plan is backdated to 2018 when the lawsuit started.
Eto'o married partner Georgette in 2007 and the couple have four children together: Maelle, Étienne, Siena and Lynn.
One of the best African players in football history, the well-travelled forward lifted two Champions League trophies in his career and scored 427 career goals for club and country.
He was elected the new president of the Cameroon FA in December 2021.
Topics: Samuel Etoo, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Cameroon
Josh Lawless