Samuel Eto'o rammed the racist chants of his detractors back down their throats as he scored the only goal in Inter Milan's 1-0 victory at Cagliari that sent them joint top of Serie A on Sunday. The match in Sardinia was briefly held up after just three minutes as Eto'o suffered racist taunts from the home side's 'ultra' fans.
Following a stadium announcement reminding those fans that the game could be abandoned if they continued, the match resumed with Eto'o proving the hero. He even brushed off the chants by mimicking a monkey after scoring.
Eto'o now has 12 goals in 11 games this season but coach Rafael Benitez insists his team is not over-reliant on the hitman ahead of Wednesday's Champions League clash against Tottenham.
Inter are now level on points and goal difference with city rivals AC Milan, who beat Chievo 3-1 on Saturday, but trail them on goals scored.
However, Lazio can reclaim the summit if they win away to Bari in Sunday's late match. Cagliari had the first clear chance when Belgium international Radja Nainggolan teed up Andrea Cossu, whose precise finish flashed wide.