Africa's top football star Emmanuel Adebayor still has family issues two years after Facebook rant

Having played for English Premier League clubs Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, Spanish La Liga giants Real Madrid and French club Monaco, Adebayor has seen it all in Europe’s top leagues.

In 2015, the Togo international went on a rant on Facebook revealing his family troubles and how supporting them has become a financial burden.

Two years down the line after the Facebook post, Emmanuel Adebayor still holds the view that he ‘did the right thing’.

In an interview with BBC, Adebayor recalls the post saying:

“I think I made the right decision to go public because what I have been through. People will say yes, you have to keep it to yourself, yes. I had done everything to stay in Real Madrid but because of my late brother I couldn’t stay there because he sent a letter; an official letter from Adebayor’s family to the club that they should not keep me.”

Adebayor points on how he is a different person now and the respect he has for his mother despite all the accusations from his family.

“My mum is saying I have never given her 200 dollars before. People that I don’t even know, I have built houses for them. I have bought cars for them so my mum can’t say certain things, my family can’t say certain things,” the Istanbul Basaksehir player says.

“But today, I am a different person. I see life in a different way. My mother gave me the chance to be who I am today and I can never thank her enough for that. I respect her for being my mum. I respect her for being there for me in the difficult moments but today I am Adebayor.”

A happy Emmanuel Adebayor, however, does not talk to his family. He recounts how they don’t show love and care towards him but only call to ask for a favour.

“I don’t know, I don’t talk to my family anymore but I talk to my friends. So whenever they want to talk to me I am available to talk to anyone because I am a good believer.

“We have done things, we have seen things, we have been through things. So the issue is just not mine because for me they are not helping me to do my job properly.

“They will never call you to see are you injured, are you okay? You would play a game, you know a couple of times I got injured during a game. They will never call you the next day to see if you are injured. Whenever they call you it is to ask you for something. Care about me, let me care about you too. Don’t just care about my finances, just care about my accounts.

“At the end of the day, you say blood is thicker than water. So why you forget the blood and you are thinking about my accounts. So for me, this issue is just hanging somewhere.

“But I am happy as I am, I am always happy anyway.”