Eto'o fined after insulting Real

Eto'o taunted Real Madrid after Barcelona sealed the Spanish title

Barcelona's Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o has been fined £8,250 for taunting his former club Real Madrid during his team's league title celebrations.

Eto'o used inflammatory language when he told fans at Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium that his former club should honour the new champions.

He has realised his mistake and it is to his credit that he has publicly apologised Rafael Blanco President of Spain's Anti-Violence Commission

Many of the 98,000 fans at the stadium to celebrate the club's first league title in six years joined in the chorus.

The Spanish Football Federation adjudged that the African Player of the Year's comments were "very serious" and could be seen "as an incitement to violence."

Eto'o, the league's leading scorer this season with 24 goals, had apologised for his outburst.

"I have spat in the plate from which I ate," Eto'o said.

"I didn't want to disrespect Madrid, the club which brought me to Europe and to which I will always be grateful. It was a mistake."

Real Madrid vice president Emilio Butragueno said his club accepted the apology.

The Committee said the fine could have been even heavier, but they took into account that the player had apologised.

The fine is one of the largest given by the Federation this season, although the player has 10 days to appeal.

Eto'o insisted: "I never wanted to show any lack of respect to anyone.

"What happened was that in a moment of joy I started to sing and that was all. I beg forgiveness and hope that people will understand me."

Eto'o arrived at Real as a teenager but, after loan spells with Leganes and Espanyol, failed to gain a regular first-team place.

He then spent five years at Mallorca, although Real retained half his playing rights and traded him to Barcelona.