blumoonrisen
Well-Known Member
Apologies if already posted, I've not seen it!
http://bit.ly/jZl69j
EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR has laid bare the despair of his nightmare at Manchester City.
He admits his relationship with Roberto Mancini is non-existent, that the City manager's methods have alienated Carlos Tevez and talks openly about the depression that has dogged him since he was caught in an horrific gun battle during the African Cup of Nations in 2010.
But it is the constant battles with Mancini which have seen Adebayor forced out of Eastlands, their relationship likely to end with a permanent summer move out of the Premier League.
Adebayor was farmed out on loan to Real Madrid in January after being dumped on the sidelines.
And in an exclusive News of the World interview, Adebayor reveals how Mancini's constant sniping shattered his confidence, leading to a series of training ground and dressing room bust-ups.
"I needed the manager to help me become a better player, but he was always criticising me," says Adebayor.
"Mancini had no confidence in me at all. For him, whatever I did was wrong.
"I remember scoring a hat-trick but he said I should have scored more.
"I tried a few times to talk to him man to man, but he never explained why he didn't like me."
Skipper Tevez also had his own rows with the Italian boss and Adebayor adds: "Whenever Mancini asked our opinions and we gave them he still wouldn't listen. He always thought he was right.
"Carlos is the main man, the captain. He is the powerful man, the talisman. And if he is complaining that means there must be something wrong.
I started to think I was not a good footballer and the doubt was instilled. After that I was more than depressed, I was gone
"We have some very strong characters at the club and some very powerful players - Micah Richards, Patrick Vieira, Nigel de Jong, Vincent Kompany and Gareth Barry, they are all tough.
"But the training wasn't strict enough and not well organised.
"Sometimes we'd stop after 20 minutes and then those of us who were not in Mancini's starting 11 would be made to stand on the side and watch for the next 45 minutes.
"I had never seen anything like it before in my life, not at Monaco, not at Arsenal and not here at Real Madrid.
"At those clubs you trained whether you played or not. But at City sometimes even the players who would be on the bench for the next game didn't train.
"I started to think I was not a good footballer and the doubt was instilled. After that I was more than depressed, I was gone.
"Whenever I came to training I was in a bad mood, I didn't want to train. My confidence was hit hard.
"At City I didn't exist. Mancini didn't talk to me and people had forgotten about me."
Adebayor now confesses that the shock of what happened in Angola when the Togo team bus was attacked by Angolan rebels before the 27th African Cup of Nations, coupled with his much-publicised fall-out with Mancini, led to a severe bout of depression during his darkest times at Eastlands.
"When I first returned to Manchester I was thinking about what happened in Africa all the time," he says. "I still think about what happened, it's impossible to forget. I will remember it until the day I die.
"After the shooting I was cradling wounded press officer Stanislas Ocloo. He was dying in my arms with two bullets in his side.
"On that terrible journey to the hospital I kept slapping his face to keep him conscious and kept telling him he wasn't going to die.
I had a fantastic relationship with previous manager Mark Hughes, but Mancini had no confidence in me at all
"When we eventually got to the hospital in Cabinda the doctor looked at his wounds and told me, 'I'm sorry, I can't save him. I don't have the necessary medication'.
"The next hospital was another three hours away. I looked at Stan and told him, 'Don't worry, we will keep you alive'. But I saw the look in his eyes and I knew he had no chance.
"He died in front of me and I broke down and cried. All the players were still afraid and I have had to live with that trauma ever since.
"Even now I sometimes think about it when I step on to the pitch."
Adebayor's state of mind wasn't helped when he returned to work under Mancini.
He says: "I had a fantastic relationship with previous manager Mark Hughes, but Mancini had no confidence in me at all.
"Sometimes you see someone and you get the feeling that person doesn't care. It can be the most beautiful lady in the world, but you just don't like that person.
"And I think that was the relationship between Mancini and me.
"I guess I was not the type of player he wanted. He preferred Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko and I respect his decision.
"I was a hero in my first season at City, but then I found myself in a very difficult position. When those two strikers arrived I said to myself, 'At least I will be in the squad'.
"I'm not saying I'm the best player in the world but, to be honest, their record on the pitch is not better than mine.
"But sometimes I wasn't involved at all and that is when I told myself, 'Something is wrong'."
Adebayor was also pictured in a training-ground brawl with Kolo Toure but he insists it was nothing. "I'm very good friends with Kolo," he says.
"He is like a brother to me but sometimes even brothers have disagreements.
Mixed signals... Adebayor and Mancini "I got blamed for the fight, but what people don't know is that Kolo took responsibility and sent his wife to my house to ask for forgiveness for what had happened.
"And I was one of the first people to speak to him and offer support when I heard about his failed drugs test."
Adebayor's misery was cut short when Jose Mourinho offered him an escape route to Real in the January transfer window.
He grabbed the loan move with both hands, helping Real win the Spanish Cup for the first time in 18 years.
Adebayor would love to stay and says: "There is a huge difference between Mancini and Mourinho.
"Jose has personality, character and he's not afraid to talk to you, whoever you are.
"At City I didn't exist. Mancini didn't talk to me and people had forgotten about me.
"But then you hear Real Madrid want you and it lifted me immediately.
"I thought, 'OK, this means I AM a good player'."
Despite his heartache at City, he would love the club to beat Stoke to complete a personal double for him.
"I have won the Spanish Cup this season with Real and it would be a fantastic year for me if Manchester City can win the FA Cup, too," he adds.
"I wish Mancini the best of luck.
"I still have a lot of friends at City: Joleon Lescott, De Jong, Vinnie (Vincent Kompany), Micah, Shaun Wright-Phillips, while Vieira is like a big brother to me.
"I speak to them on the phone all the time and they all went to Patrick's house to watch our Cup Final victory over Barcelona.
"I phoned them after they beat Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final and congratulated them. I am very happy for them.
"Now they are 90 minutes from winning a trophy.
"If I could be at Wembley with them on the day I would do that with pleasure."
http://bit.ly/jZl69j
EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR has laid bare the despair of his nightmare at Manchester City.
He admits his relationship with Roberto Mancini is non-existent, that the City manager's methods have alienated Carlos Tevez and talks openly about the depression that has dogged him since he was caught in an horrific gun battle during the African Cup of Nations in 2010.
But it is the constant battles with Mancini which have seen Adebayor forced out of Eastlands, their relationship likely to end with a permanent summer move out of the Premier League.
Adebayor was farmed out on loan to Real Madrid in January after being dumped on the sidelines.
And in an exclusive News of the World interview, Adebayor reveals how Mancini's constant sniping shattered his confidence, leading to a series of training ground and dressing room bust-ups.
"I needed the manager to help me become a better player, but he was always criticising me," says Adebayor.
"Mancini had no confidence in me at all. For him, whatever I did was wrong.
"I remember scoring a hat-trick but he said I should have scored more.
"I tried a few times to talk to him man to man, but he never explained why he didn't like me."
Skipper Tevez also had his own rows with the Italian boss and Adebayor adds: "Whenever Mancini asked our opinions and we gave them he still wouldn't listen. He always thought he was right.
"Carlos is the main man, the captain. He is the powerful man, the talisman. And if he is complaining that means there must be something wrong.
I started to think I was not a good footballer and the doubt was instilled. After that I was more than depressed, I was gone
"We have some very strong characters at the club and some very powerful players - Micah Richards, Patrick Vieira, Nigel de Jong, Vincent Kompany and Gareth Barry, they are all tough.
"But the training wasn't strict enough and not well organised.
"Sometimes we'd stop after 20 minutes and then those of us who were not in Mancini's starting 11 would be made to stand on the side and watch for the next 45 minutes.
"I had never seen anything like it before in my life, not at Monaco, not at Arsenal and not here at Real Madrid.
"At those clubs you trained whether you played or not. But at City sometimes even the players who would be on the bench for the next game didn't train.
"I started to think I was not a good footballer and the doubt was instilled. After that I was more than depressed, I was gone.
"Whenever I came to training I was in a bad mood, I didn't want to train. My confidence was hit hard.
"At City I didn't exist. Mancini didn't talk to me and people had forgotten about me."
Adebayor now confesses that the shock of what happened in Angola when the Togo team bus was attacked by Angolan rebels before the 27th African Cup of Nations, coupled with his much-publicised fall-out with Mancini, led to a severe bout of depression during his darkest times at Eastlands.
"When I first returned to Manchester I was thinking about what happened in Africa all the time," he says. "I still think about what happened, it's impossible to forget. I will remember it until the day I die.
"After the shooting I was cradling wounded press officer Stanislas Ocloo. He was dying in my arms with two bullets in his side.
"On that terrible journey to the hospital I kept slapping his face to keep him conscious and kept telling him he wasn't going to die.
I had a fantastic relationship with previous manager Mark Hughes, but Mancini had no confidence in me at all
"When we eventually got to the hospital in Cabinda the doctor looked at his wounds and told me, 'I'm sorry, I can't save him. I don't have the necessary medication'.
"The next hospital was another three hours away. I looked at Stan and told him, 'Don't worry, we will keep you alive'. But I saw the look in his eyes and I knew he had no chance.
"He died in front of me and I broke down and cried. All the players were still afraid and I have had to live with that trauma ever since.
"Even now I sometimes think about it when I step on to the pitch."
Adebayor's state of mind wasn't helped when he returned to work under Mancini.
He says: "I had a fantastic relationship with previous manager Mark Hughes, but Mancini had no confidence in me at all.
"Sometimes you see someone and you get the feeling that person doesn't care. It can be the most beautiful lady in the world, but you just don't like that person.
"And I think that was the relationship between Mancini and me.
"I guess I was not the type of player he wanted. He preferred Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko and I respect his decision.
"I was a hero in my first season at City, but then I found myself in a very difficult position. When those two strikers arrived I said to myself, 'At least I will be in the squad'.
"I'm not saying I'm the best player in the world but, to be honest, their record on the pitch is not better than mine.
"But sometimes I wasn't involved at all and that is when I told myself, 'Something is wrong'."
Adebayor was also pictured in a training-ground brawl with Kolo Toure but he insists it was nothing. "I'm very good friends with Kolo," he says.
"He is like a brother to me but sometimes even brothers have disagreements.
Mixed signals... Adebayor and Mancini "I got blamed for the fight, but what people don't know is that Kolo took responsibility and sent his wife to my house to ask for forgiveness for what had happened.
"And I was one of the first people to speak to him and offer support when I heard about his failed drugs test."
Adebayor's misery was cut short when Jose Mourinho offered him an escape route to Real in the January transfer window.
He grabbed the loan move with both hands, helping Real win the Spanish Cup for the first time in 18 years.
Adebayor would love to stay and says: "There is a huge difference between Mancini and Mourinho.
"Jose has personality, character and he's not afraid to talk to you, whoever you are.
"At City I didn't exist. Mancini didn't talk to me and people had forgotten about me.
"But then you hear Real Madrid want you and it lifted me immediately.
"I thought, 'OK, this means I AM a good player'."
Despite his heartache at City, he would love the club to beat Stoke to complete a personal double for him.
"I have won the Spanish Cup this season with Real and it would be a fantastic year for me if Manchester City can win the FA Cup, too," he adds.
"I wish Mancini the best of luck.
"I still have a lot of friends at City: Joleon Lescott, De Jong, Vinnie (Vincent Kompany), Micah, Shaun Wright-Phillips, while Vieira is like a big brother to me.
"I speak to them on the phone all the time and they all went to Patrick's house to watch our Cup Final victory over Barcelona.
"I phoned them after they beat Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final and congratulated them. I am very happy for them.
"Now they are 90 minutes from winning a trophy.
"If I could be at Wembley with them on the day I would do that with pleasure."