• Premier League

Adebayor moves on from abusive chants

ESPNsoccernet staff
October 5, 2011
Arsene Wenger shakes hands with Emmanuel Adebayor © PA Photos
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Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor insists he will not be affected by the abusive chants Arsenal fans directed at him on Sunday.

Adebayor brushed aside the controversy, stating his intention to move on from the incident, saying: "If I can survive the bullets in Angola then a few mindless insults will have little impact."

The former Gunners forward was reportedly the subject of chants from sections of the crowd during Sunday's north London derby referencing the deadly gun attack on the Togo team bus in January 2010.

Both Tottenham and Arsenal have since denounced the offensive chanting which also saw Arsene Wenger taunted during the game at White Hart Lane.

"The songs that they sung about me were very bad, but was I surprised? No. Disappointed? Yes," Adebayor told The Sun.

"Obviously it was all meant to hurt me, to upset me, to anger me. It is sad that parents let their children hear or sing such things. As a child you are influenced by your parents' actions.

"You see them doing it and you think it is the correct way to behave. It's very sad how the memory of something so awful could be used in such an awful way.

"To be honest I wasn't surprised by it, I had been expecting something. And it didn't affect me at all. I have learnt a lot in the last few years and the best response is a positive performance.

"I just blocked it all out and concentrated on playing my best. I just hope that people remember this game for the right reasons and how well we played as it was being shown all around the world.

"It'd be a great shame if they just remember the stupid songs and not the great football. I'm so glad I kept my dignity in the face of people behaving like that."

Adebayor added: "But those chants won't ever have an affect on me. I've been through too many difficult times to let a minority of people singing silly songs affect my performance.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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