Emmanuel Adebayor: A Huge Disgrace

By Zain Alvi | 12th September 2009

Emmanuel Adebayor: A Huge Disgrace | read this item

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manchester-city-celebrate-v-arsenal This weekend’s headlines were stolen by Emmauel Adebayor even before a ball was kicked. Saturday morning, Adebayor finally lashed out at his former club Arsenal, moments before the Gunners kicked-off a challenging visit to the Eastlands. Justified or not, Adebayor’s criticism was timed very poorly, for starters. On top of that, let me also go ahead and say that the distasteful nature of his remarks will now effectively erase any sympathy the Arsenal faithful ever felt for the Togolose striker.

Fortunately for Adebayor, he can care less about Arsenal at the moment as he enjoyed leading his new Manchester City side to a 4-2 thumping of the visitors. While there were certainly a few controversial moments that went the way of Adebayor and his teammates, the victory was more or less deserved. Something that wasn’t called for, however, was the pathetic manner in which Adebayor celebrated his first goal against his former club.

As he headed home the all-important third goal, I had no option but to look away from the television in disbelief. For any Arsenal fan, the game was virtually over, but Adebayor took the disappointment to another level when he incredibly sprinted towards the Arsenal section of the City of Manchester Stadium with the explicit purpose of picking up a confrontation. Certainly, when times are good and a reckless individual like Adebayor is enjoying a good spell, such a ridiculous celebration becomes tempting.

However, I urge Emmanuel to think about his long-term future in English football. I am sure at some point along the way, he will realize that burning all bridges with the club that transformed his fortunes is an extremely shameless act. Only a few weeks ago, when he first arrived at City, Adebayor issued a statement thanking everyone at Arsenal for their part in helping him get so far in his career.

Of course, at that time, he must have felt the apprehensions that came along with his new challenge at Manchester City, which in turn led to the hypocritic act of holding on to his true feelings until his career took off at the Eastlands. Hence, a dream start to his City career – scoring four goals in as many games – led him to finally reveal his true, bitter feelings for his former club.

Before analyzing Adebayor’s extremely offensive comments, it is important to understand that the flak he received from Arsenal fans last season was not impossible to handle. After all, the fans were frustrated by yet another disappointing season, which was capped by extremely low productivity on the part of the unsettled Togolese forward. In addition, like I have mentioned in numerous articles before, model professionals like Frank Lampard have shown how to patiently combat the unreasonable jeering from certain sections of the home crowd.

The following is a series of comments issued on Saturday morning by Emmanuel Adebayor. Right after each of his statements, I will respond with my own account of where Adebayor went wrong with the disastrous manner in which he decided to ‘open up’ about his feelings for his former club.

Adebayor: “What is good at City is the fans. They love you. Arsenal have a lot of fans who are not fans. Arsenal have fans from America and Jamaica. Today they are Arsenal fans, tomorrow they will be Liverpool fans, after tomorrow they will be Manchester United fans.”

Zain Alvi: First of all, Mr. Adebayor, a majority of the boo-boys at the Emirates during your time there were not from America or Jamaica. Therefore, what entitles you to take such a cheap shot on football fans at our side of the world? Furthermore, speaking on behalf of not only Arsenal fans, but supporters of all the other ‘top-four’ teams around the world, we are the fans that never switch loyalty. You can happily move to the Eastlands, but remember, we will not follow in your footsteps.

Adebayor: “If you boo your player every weekend, I am very sorry, you are not true fans. It hurt me a lot. That was the most difficult moment of my career.”

Zain Alvi: Yes, if certain fans consistently jeer one of their own players, it is a shame. In fact, I agree with you, these supporters certainly don’t have the make-up of the ‘true fan’. However, Arsenal is not the only place where this has happened before. Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), and Raul (Real Madrid) are just some of the names who have gone the Frank Lampard way of utilizing the criticism of their own fans to bounce back stronger than ever.

In that sense, these players have also credited the fans for constantly reviving their careers. It’s very clear that you don’t have nearly as strong a character, but still, the way you’ve responded is simply outrageous, Emmanuel! It’s also a pity that you didn’t stop right there when you went on to fire a parting shot at your former strike partner, Nicklas Bendtner.

Adebayor: “Nicklas had a very easy route. He had the chance to be in the Arsenal academy, the chance to be an international for Denmark. Football doesn’t stop there. You are young, you have to learn. No matter what quality you have, you have to listen to people, let people help you be good. If Cristiano Ronaldo had gone to Manchester United and thought ‘I’m good’, he would not have become the best player in the world. He worked with the United players, tried to adapt his style. Those United players made him big, Nicklas just thinks he can make himself big.”

Zain Alvi: Emmanuel, is your hectic routine at City driving you out of your senses? Do you think it’s an ‘easy route’ to earn the privilege to represent your country by obtaining your credentials in the competitive Arsenal academy? You obviously didn’t spend enough time at Arsenal to be able to appreciate Bendtner’s background in the sport. Sure, he’s no Cristiano Ronaldo, but Bendtner has constantly improved his game as he has gone from Birmingham City’s franchise player to becoming a starter for Arsene Wenger. Furthermore, he has scored in almost every single game for Denmark in World Cup qualification, which certainly justifies his selection as a Danish international.

Adebayor (on the infamous White Hart Lane confrontation in early 2008): “Nicklas showed me the finger. I am sorry, you cannot show your partner the finger.”

Zain Alvi: Okay, so maybe he showed you the finger that was barely seen by most of the audience. But what you gave him – a powerful headbutt in public eye – was far more inexcusable. Maybe you do need a lesson in professional manners after all, eh?

To conclude, I am just one of the many Arsenal fans who started the weekend as Adebayor fans and ended it as one of the striker’s most bitter detractors. I reiterate, Adebayor is a quality striker. But with not even half the professionalism and gratitude to match that quality, I can predict some tough times ahead if he keeps up his intolerable demeanor.

Zain Alvi says:

September 17, 2009 at 1:02 am

Layi – To each his own. I won’t even start another argument with you (or anyone else for that matter) about the bitterness between us Gunners and Adebayor. For one, most of the Arsenal faithful will be in no hurry to even consider forgiving Adebayor, regardless of what the rest of the “sports world” feels.

Second, I am not clearly understanding your comment about the varying perspectives across the globe. I am glad that our great club enjoys global popularity outside of the UK, which includes a strong following in the U.S. But having studied the British football culture all my life while also studying abroad for an entire semester near North London, I feel that I possess both the American and the British perspective. And fundamentally, a British Gooner thinks the same way as an American Gooner.

This is why I just can’t understand the part of your comment when you say “if u live in europe that is VERY distasteful so u may not understand the perspective”. What perspective are you talking about and what is it that you are referring to as ridiculous? Keep the comments coming :)

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Layi says:

September 16, 2009 at 11:28 pm

he lacks much class, but he had a few correct statements. and as for bendter im sure he was going to say nethn to discredit him after their relationship. and for the fans, most americans are arsenal fans and if u live in europe that is VERY distasteful so u may not understand the perspective. and lastly, as bad as it may be and as idiotic he is, sports (not just soccer) has ALWAYS forgiven/forgottn poor actions if quality play was consistent after, and in adebayors case I feel it will and people will begin to talk about something else each time he puts it in the back of the net ( esp. since he will be scoring a lot).

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adebayortheking says:

September 16, 2009 at 8:58 pm

first of all stop crying…..
it’s a matter of culture….
we togolese are all about respect…we not the type to go messin around like some rooney
instead we will wait paciendly for that moment….that is exactly what adebayor did…
the thing is an argument with a togolese will never end we’ll never forgive you should know and start understanding the differences in this world

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Silvanna Perez says:

September 15, 2009 at 1:29 am

I’m an Arsenal and Milan supporter. I’m glad that he left Arsenal and relieved that AC Milan did not buy him. He deliberately stamped on RVP’ face. RVP could easily have lost an eye. He is a disgrace who shows no gratitude towards the club that made him. He should be punished severely for his bad behaviour.

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hilda says:

September 14, 2009 at 1:04 pm

this guy is a disgrace to football he chats so much crap so don’t even bother listeniing. His actions against his old side arsenal was horrible. celebrate ok, but to run the whole legth of the pitch to rub it in our faces is another . i hated that guy from the stat when i heard he was leaving it did not bother me. The tackle on van persie was also terrible to me he is probably the most hated player i hve ever disliked.

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douglas says:

September 12, 2009 at 9:30 pm

Hey..Im glad wenger sold him. He has no respect for his former club.
I see another ronaldo in the making. Wait till you hit emirates.
He will not get out walking.

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Amandeep Singh says:

September 12, 2009 at 9:29 pm

With a red and white scarf around my neck and ManUnited fans laughing all around, I stood alone watching him performing the ugliest act by a footballer for his former club.

I wonder what his three years at Arsenal came to, after what he did today?

And don’t even go by his statements, he changes them every week. He released another apology after the match. Who cares to even read it?… Read More

In the end, I admit – Money won today. But i am still Wengspired!

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Thomas O Loughlin says:

September 12, 2009 at 9:13 pm

I’m no Arsenal fan but Adebayor is an idiot, a self centred, self-indulgent idiot. Look at this guy and Tevez and see everything that is wrong with the game. They are greedy and have no respect for others. Fair play Zain for letting everybody know the truth bout Adebayor, he is a liar and should be ashamed, his celebration today shows what kind of character he is. No respect for the team that made him a good player and a disgrace to the game of football.

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