October 15, (THEWILL) – Former Arsenal striker, Emmanuel Adebayor, has called on Gunners supporters to move on from his controversial goal celebration against the club in 2009. Speaking in a recent interview, the retired Togo international said he hopes fans can now laugh off the infamous incident where he sprinted the length of the pitch to celebrate scoring for Manchester City against Arsenal.
Adebayor claimed the provocation came after Arsenal supporters hurled abuse about his family. “I don’t think any human being would accept it if people were singing about and insulting your family, especially your mother and father,” he said. The celebration led to a two-match ban and a £25,000 fine.
Now Adebayor wants to draw a line under the event. “It’s behind me now, I hope it is behind them,” he remarked. “We all love football. And every once in a while when they see that celebration on television and social media, hopefully now they can laugh it off and move on.”
Despite the falling out with fans, Adebayor revealed he was rooting for Arsenal last season as they pushed Manchester City close for the English Premier League title. “Last season we were all rooting for them to win the league and they came very close,” he said, referring to Arsenal as ‘we’.
Adebayor believes Arsenal have a bright future, saying their second-place finish last year was “incredible” given where they had come from. While disappointed they fell short, he said the club had shown promise under manager Mikel Arteta.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
