Adebayor: I felt unloved at City
EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR has revealed he quit Manchester City because the fans did not show him enough love.
The Togo striker joined Real Madrid on loan until the end of the season in January after falling behind Carlos Tevez, Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko in the City pecking order.
Adebayor moved to Eastlands in a £25million move from Arsenal two years ago under former boss Mark Hughes.
But despite hitting 14 goals in 34 games in his first season, Roberto Mancini's appointment as Hughes' successor in December 2009 spelt the end of his time in Manchester.
And the 27-year-old insists it was a lack of support from the Italian and the City faithful that led to his exit.
He said: "When I first joined Manchester City, I was very happy.
"At the beginning everything started very well. I was pleased, I was playing and I was scoring goals.
"Suddenly we had a game against Arsenal and you all know what happened. From then it went downhill for me.
"It was a difficult moment for me, we changed the bosses. Mark Hughes left, Roberto Mancini came along and it was even more difficult.
"But today the difference between leaving Arsenal and going to Manchester is that at Arsenal the fans loved me, I think even today they love me.
"When I come to Madrid I feel the same atmosphere, I feel the fans love me here as well.
"If you ask a player there is nothing more important than to feel loved. That's all you want to feel.
"Today here in Madrid I feel very happy because I feel loved by all the players, by the supporters, by the staff members.
"They love the way I am working, they love my character. So without any doubt, those are the key moments in my life."
Despite enduring the worst six months of his career earlier in the campaign, Adebayor insists he has no regrets about leaving the Gunners two years ago.
Speaking ahead of the first leg of Real Madrid's Champions League quarter-final clash with Tottenham at the Bernabeu, he added: "I don't regret going to Manchester City.
"I did my part for Arsenal, I contributed a lot but I did not have the chance to win anything.
"It was a tough moment when the club asked me to leave. It was the most difficult moment in my life because when I grew up my dream was one day to play for and stay at Arsenal and all my dreams stopped there.
"I did not go beyond Arsenal. I know there are lot of bigger clubs than Arsenal but it was my dream because my hero played there, Nwankwo Kanu, so my dream was to play for them for as long as possible.
"But when I came back from holidays and they told me that I had to leave the club, it was very difficult for me.
"After that, there was interest from Manchester City in me, so I went there. I was very happy."
But with Mancini deciding to adopt a more defensive formation this term and preferring one striker to spearhead his attack, Adebayor found himself on the sidelines and started just two Premier League games.
A training ground row with his boss in September did not help his cause and a second bust-up with team-mate Kolo Toure in January spelt the end of Adebayor's days at Eastlands.
But he says his switch to Jose Mourinho's Real - where he has scored three goals in 13 games - has revitalised his career.
And he refuses to rule out joining another English side when his loan spell in Madrid ends in June.
Adebayor added: "I have been playing in England for five years, I had the chance to play in France for a couple of years, so it is a good time for me to play in Spain.
"If I have the chance to go back to England one day, why not? I will never throw England away. I love the football, I love the atmosphere.
"But don't get me wrong, I am very happy where I am, the future will show where I go but for now I am just happy to be on the football pitch again, playing football.
"That is all that matters now. We will talk in the summer about what I am going to do about my career."
And, despite falling eight points behind Barcelona following a 1-0 loss to Sporting Gijon on Saturday, Adebayor reckons Mourinho's Real still have what it takes to scoop a domestic and European double.
He said: "We've got a good team, good quality and good team spirit. All the club wants is to win as many trophies as possible and that is my feeling as well.
"In the league we are eight points behind Barcelona but we still have to play them at home. It will be very difficult, don't get me wrong, but we have a good chance to give them a good run until the end of the season."
And Adebayor reserved a final word of praise for his new boss. He said: "I had the chance to play under Didier Deschamps at Monaco, with Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, Mark Hughes at Manchester City and Roberto Mancini.
"Now I am playing under Jose Mourinho and he is the best manager I have played under until now.
"I am very happy to have him as a manager and work with him as a player and I hope our relationship will continue for as long as possible, but you never know in football."
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