Emmanuel Adebayor has revealed his “hate” for Arsenal stems from his fallout with “fake” Arsene Wenger.
Outspoken former Gunners striker Adebayor claimed Wenger lacked the honesty which made him love Jose Mourinho, who the striker played under at Real Madrid.
And as he lifted the lid on the managers he has played for and his controversial move from Arsenal to Manchester City back in 2009, Adebayor, now playing for Turkish league leaders Istanbul Basaksehir, said: “Mourinho is the one of the managers I loved and will always love.
“He is one of the [most] honest managers I have met in my career, which is crazy because most of the managers are all kind of like fake.
“As an example, I had a meeting with Arsene Wenger in his office when he told me I had to leave because he doesn’t see my future any more in Arsenal. I have to move on in my life.
“I was like ‘I’m going to stay.’ He was like ‘no there is not even a fight organised. We are not going to organise any fight for you. You move out or you stay here and don’t play any games.’
“So I didn’t have any other choice than joining Man City which I was very happy to join.
“And the next day when I joined Manchester City I saw him doing a press conference in London saying that I wanted to leave because the money was big and everything and since that day that is where the hate for Arsenal came from.
“Not the fans because the fans are the first English fans to sing my name in London.
“Even today when I watch them play I want them to win but at the same time I want them to lose because the anger in me is too big.”
Unforgettably, Adebayor responded to taunts from Arsenal fans when City faced his former club in September 2009 by celebrating his goal against them with a pitch-length sprint and knee slide in front of the fans who used to sing his name.
Explaining the celebration in an interview in sports show Beyond The Game on Turkish channel TRT World, Adebayor, 33, said: “What was going through my head? A prisoner is out. A prisoner is free.
“I play for the club for three and a half years. They bought me for three or four million they sold me for 27 million they still calling me names. They are still telling me I leave for money?
“You bought me for three million I still have five years of contract and you let me go for 20 million more and you are telling me I am the one leaving for money and abusing me.
“You can insult me no problem, but telling me my father washes elephants?
“I am not taking that so it was just to show them that the person you are insulting still has something in his locker.”
And in one final dig at Wenger, Adebayor added: “Mourinho is a manager that wants to win a trophy no matter what it takes, even if he has to park the bus, the train or a plane he just wants to win and will do everything it takes to win.
“He will not sleep. He will work 24 hours to win one game and Arsene just loves to bring kids in and make them become big players. He is like a teacher.”
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