Adebayor hits back at Arsenal fans
The Togo striker joined the Gunners in January 2006
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By Adam Leveridge. |  |
Friday, 24, Jul 2009 12:53
By Matt Fortune
Emmanuel Adebayor has hit out at Arsenal fans who he claimed drove him away from the club he "loved".
The Togolese striker completed a £25 million move to Manchester City last week, bringing an end to a less than endearing final year in north London.
After a breakthrough 2007/08, in which Adebayor plundered 30 goals, last summer saw a slew of transfer stories linking the striker with a move. His contradictions throughout the transfer window led to heavy criticism from sections of the home support.
Adebayor now claims that he had only ever wanted to stay, something he could not do this year because of the fans' response.
"The way the fans behaved towards me was not nice at all," he said. "It's a strange thing in football, when a player plays well everybody loves him. I'd just scored 30 goals in [the 2007-08] season, and it wasn't my fault Milan or Barcelona or Real Madrid want to sign me.
"All it ever told him [Wenger] was I loved the club and wanted to stay.
"The fans never understood that; they never understood why [those clubs] wanted to buy me. I couldn't understand why they were after me. I'd done everything, made a speech, played for three years, done my best.
"Every single summer and December, Barcelona try to buy Cesc Fabregas but the fans never turned on him. But that's life. It's behind me."
Of his eventual move to Eastlands, Adebayor also said that Arsenal's financial trouble may have been a deciding factor.
"Wenger told me: 'You can leave'. I said: 'Why do you want me to leave now? Why do you want to sell me?' At the end of the day I find out the club need money and I'm the target."
"It was a tough decision. But I've left Arsenal and everything I've done there is behind me. They pushed the finger on me. Well, I'm very happy they've got their money and I hope they spend it well - and the club can go forward."
The Gunners travel to the City of Manchester Stadium on September 12th.