Emmanuel Adebayor stands by iconic Arsenal celebration

Emmanuel Adebayor says he has absolutely no regrets about his famous knee-slide celebration in front of the Arsenal supporters while playing for Manchester City, insisting it was a reaction to deeply personal abuse from the stands.

Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Togo striker explained that insults aimed at his late father and his mother crossed a line he could not ignore.

“If I want to be honest, you asked me if I regret it. No, I didn’t regret it because, listen, they were giving me a hard time,” Adebayor said, recalling the hostility he faced that day. “And obviously, then my father already passed away and I still have my mother. So, you know, getting my parents involved, insulting my parents was something I can never take lightly.”

He stressed that joining Arsenal had been a huge milestone in his career, especially because his idol Kanu Nwankwo wore the same number 25 shirt he eventually took over.

“For me, to join Arsenal was the biggest achievement in my career. But the way things ended up was a little bit nasty,” he admitted. Even so, Adebayor feels he simply stood up for his family: “Because at the end of the day, if I can’t represent and defend my parents, I don’t know who would do it for me. So it’s kind of doing my job.”