Emmanuel Adebayor, the Togo international, has accused Manchester City of sidelining him upon his return from a loan at Real Madrid in 2011. The clubs face off in the Champions League round of 16 return leg at the Etihad Stadium.
Early Impact at Manchester City
Adebayor etched his name in club history after arriving from Arsenal. He famously sprinted the length of the pitch to celebrate a goal in front of Arsenal fans in 2009.
During the 2009/10 season, the striker delivered 14 goals across 31 matches. However, he quickly fell out of favor with manager Roberto Mancini the next year.
Loan Spell and Abrupt Return
City loaned Adebayor to Real Madrid in January 2011. He returned that summer after a permanent deal collapsed, scoring eight goals in 22 appearances for the Spanish giants.
Claims of Poor Communication and Isolation
Signs emerged that Adebayor featured outside Mancini’s plans. He learned via email from the football director’s secretary to report for training on July 9, unaware the first team left for a US pre-season tour on July 8.
“This is very hurtful and insulting and says a lot about Manchester City,” Adebayor stated. “On the one hand they want to become the biggest, most successful club in the world, yet the people who run the club are not acting in that way at all.”
“No one at City is man enough to speak to me face-to-face to explain. I just received an email from Brian Marwood’s secretary telling me to report for training on July 9.”
“But when I spoke to the other players, I found out the first team was leaving for the pre-season tour of the US on July 8. So it’s clear they don’t want me here but no one even called.”
“Brian Marwood just got his secretary to send me an email. And I heard this was the same with at least six other players.”
Teammate Craig Bellamy echoed criticisms of the club that summer.
Mancini’s Earlier Remarks
After Adebayor netted twice for Madrid in a Champions League quarter-final, Mancini commented in April 2011: “I am happy for him that he is scoring goals and I hope he can continue to score. At the end of the season we will see. If he wants to stay, he can. I am happy for Manu because he is a good player.”
Path to Tottenham Hotspur
Adebayor never rejoined the City squad. He moved to Tottenham Hotspur on a season-long loan, thriving with 18 goals under Harry Redknapp. Spurs secured him permanently for £5 million in 2012. His last City appearance occurred over 18 months earlier.
