“it’s all behind me now, I hope they can forgive me” Former Arsenal player who betrayed the club and played for two rivals asks fans for forgiveness

Emmanuel Adebayor is expressing regret to Arsenal supporters for his legendary goal celebration for Manchester City after 14 years.

Throughout the course of Arsenal’s glorious history, numerous notable players have graced the sacred turf of the Emirates Stadium. Few have incited the wrath of the club’s fervent fanbase more than Emmanuel Adebayor, who made headlines when he joined Manchester City. While others have ventured into Premier League rival territory.

In July 2009, when he finished a £25 million transfer from Arsenal to Manchester United, Adebayor made his contentious move. The Togolese forward made a clear declaration of intent at the time, stating his desire to “make history” at Manchester City. A few years after leaving Arsenal, he was loaned to Real Madrid and Tottenham, therefore this phase of his career was brief.

His football career began to wane and ended in July 2021, when he unexpectedly found himself playing for the Semassi of Togo’s Championnat National squad. On March 21, 2023, at the age of 39, this road resulted in his retirement from professional football.

Despite having played for a variety of organizations, including Arsenal’s bitter rivals, Adebayor’s iconic goal celebration against Arsenal in 2009 is still one of the things associated with his time at the North London club that many remember the most.

Emmanuel Adebayor is reaching out to Arsenal supporters now that he is retired, asking for their forgiveness and urging them to keep in mind the good moments they had.

Speaking with Sky Sports News in his home Togo, Emmanuel Adebayor seemed to have found solace in retirement.

Adebayor stated, “I think the supporters can go past the incident from 2009 when I ran the length of the pitch. No one would voluntarily accept insults hurled at their family, especially their parents, I want to make that plain today. “I would do anything for my parents,” the speaker said.

The Football Association penalized Adebayor with a $25,000 fine and a two-match suspension following his famous celebration. The regulatory authority acknowledged Adebayor’s admission of guilt, public apology, and the extremely hurtful nature of the abuse he endured at the time.

They nevertheless underlined the importance of athletes acting appropriately, labeling such celebrations as inappropriate.

Adebayor said of the event, “It’s now behind me, and I hope it’s behind them as well. We all love football with a fervor. I thus hope kids can now accept it and move on when they see such celebration on television or social media. That is my best wish for Arsenal supporters, and I hope they have a prosperous new year.