- Adebayor is infamous for serving Arsenal a dose of their own medicine in 2009
- He was then playing as striker for Manchester City
- He scored the fourth goal against Arsenal, a team he had played for six months prior
How intriguing is the historic yet infamous Emmanuel Adebayor celebration that football fans never forget about?
Adebayor is infamous for serving Arsenal a dose of their own medicine in 2009 when he played for Manchester City. The Gunners had just sold him to City for £25m, only for him to score a fourth goal for Etihad and riled up Arsenal fans.
Here is what exactly happened. In 2009, during a match between Manchester City and Arsenal, Emmanuel Adebayor, playing for Manchester City at the time, scored a goal against his former team, Arsenal.
After scoring, Adebayor ran the field length and slid on his knees in front of Arsenal’s fans, which was seen as a provocative celebration. This controversial celebration led to criticism from many, including his former teammates and coaches at Arsenal.
Speaking of Emmanual Adebayor celebration, he said it was an emotional response to the abuse he received from the Arsenal fans during the match.
WHY DID ADEBAYOR DO THAT CELEBRATION?
During his EPL stint with the club, Adebayor had a strained relationship with some of the Arsenal fans. He received a significant amount of abuse from them during Manchester City vs Arsenal clash, which the former won 4-2.
Emmanuel Adebayo celebration. Photo/Squawka
He scored the last and final fourth goal that made him celebrate it so hard, much to the anger of Arsenal fans. Sadly, the FA chose to penalise him with a suspended two-match suspension for his outburst of passion. It was a case of sensitive fans who pushed the FA to take such drastic action.
Before they even got to Manchester, Arsenal supporters were already angry. Those who had travelled north told Togo international what they thought, saying they believed he had manoeuvred for relocation away.
WHY IS ADEBAYOR CELEBRATED AGAINST ARSENAL?
Emmanuel Adebayor celebration was against Arsenal, and for a reason, he justified thereafter. Nonetheless, the celebration was controversial and led to criticism from many, including his former teammates and coaches at Arsenal.
Adebayor had a strained relationship with some of the Arsenal fans, and he received significant abuse from them during the match. Some pundits said it was provocative and disrespectful towards Arsenal and its supporters.
But as Adebayor said at the time, a guy can only take so much hate. He claimed that he was abused by people who were singing his name six months prior. To him, the insults and racist comments could not be justified, which pushed him to the edge.
The retired Togo international recalls getting an offer from City, and his then-manager Arsene Wenger and team accepted it. So, he was not at fault for picking City over Arsenal because top club honchos had already made this decision.
“I was abused all match and scored a goal I knew would win the game for us. Ten seconds is nothing. Your emotion is going to last a lot longer than that,” talkSport quotes him.
The Football Association fined him £25,000 and stated that despite the harsh jeers from the opposing end, he still had a duty to act appropriately.
Emmanuel Adebayo celebration. Photo/DailyStar
WHAT WAS THE ADEBAYOR CHANT?
The chant that was heard from some of the Arsenal fans directed at Adebayor during the 2009 match against Manchester City was a racist one. The chant included monkey noises and racist slurs.
This kind of behaviour is unacceptable and is condemned by the football community and society. Using racist language and gestures is a form of discrimination, and it is against the law.
As much as the FA punished the Togolese over the Emmanuel Adebayor celebration, it also criticized Arsenal fans for behaving wildly. FA emphasised that players must act appropriately, that such celebrations are improper, and that they risk igniting a significant public order issue.
Before this incident, Adebayor already had a three-game suspension from the FA for violent behaviour related to the alleged stamp on Robin van Persie. However, City at the time claimed he had apologised to his former teammate and emphasised that he had not intended to act violently.
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