Adebayor points to clash of egos as root of Real Madrid’s struggles

Emmanuel Adebayor has identified ego as the central problem behind Real Madrid’s uneven start to the new season, according to the former Arsenal and Manchester City forward.

The former Madrid loanee spent the second half of 2010/11 at the Bernabeu alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain, so he knows how a dressing room full of superstars operates.

Speaking to Flashscore, he suggested the current squad, featuring Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, faces a similar challenge.

While the trio may present a united front on television, Adebayor claimed their understanding does not click every day. In his view, the issue is less about tactics and more about managing powerful personalities.

He told Flashscore that status makes authority hard to impose. When a player is regarded as one of the best in the world, it becomes difficult for any coach to tell him what to do.

The problems are showing on the pitch too. Sunday’s 2-1 derby defeat to Atletico Madrid left Madrid six points behind leaders Barcelona, with questions lingering over their balance. Fixing that, Adebayor suggests, starts in the dressing room, not on the training ground.