• Champions League

Adebayor angry at Barcelona 'babies'

ESPNsoccernet staff
April 28, 2011
Emmanuel Adebayor was left unimpressed by some of Barcelona's antics © Getty Images
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Real Madrid striker Emmanuel Adebayor has accused Barcelona of "crying like a baby" whenever they are challenged after Wednesday's Champions League semi-final.

Barcelona secured a 2-0 victory at the Bernabeu courtesy of a late Lionel Messi brace after Pepe had been sent off in controversial circumstances for a challenge on Dani Alves.

Jose Mourinho - who was also sent off - has now seen his teams go down to ten men in his last five games against Barca, and Adebayor believes Pep Guardiola's men "are very far away from fair play".

"Maybe Pepe committed a foul but I don't think it was a red card," he said. "Football is a man's game but whenever you play against Barca, whenever you touch them, they are on the floor crying like a baby.

"I have played three games against Barcelona and each time we have had to play with ten men. Everyone talks about Barcelona and their fair play but I think they are very far away from fair play.

"Whenever you make contact when going for a one-on-one or 50-50 ball they are on the floor crying, putting their hand up near their face. Their manager, fans and the players on the bench are always crying. Barcelona is a fantastic club, has fantastic players, but they have to stop that."

He added: "After the dismissal, everything became much more difficult for us, but our morale is still high and we believe we can go to Barcelona and win.

"If we lose, everyone will criticise us, but we love our coach and believe we can win the second leg. We'll see what happens."

Xavi Hernandez, though, believes Barca's success was a victory for football as Madrid had set up to defend on home turf.

"Football won," he told Sport. "Justice has been done. The only team who wanted to play and go out to attack was us. The result was fair. It never entered my head to do what Madrid did. Barca wouldn't allow it.

"I don't want to talk of Mourinho. I want to talk of Barca - we were better and played a great game."

Xavi also had little doubt that the referee was correct in sending off Pepe. "Pepe's sending-off was right," he added. "It was a challenge that cannot be allowed. It was ugly and could have caused damage. It's a red card."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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