31 March 2024 , 15:40
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Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has relived his role in Emmanuel Adebayor's infamous celebration against Arsenal for Manchester City back in 2009.
The former Togo international spent two-and-a-half years at the Emirates before joining City ahead of the 2009/10 campaign. He would come face to face with his old club in the early weeks of the new season and his emphatic response to scoring in a 4-2 win against the Gunners is widely regarded as one of the most memorable moments in Premier League history.
After notching against his former employers, Adebayor sprinted the entire length of the field in order to goad the visiting Arsenal fans in the away end with an epic knee slide. He was subsequently booked for his actions by Clattenburg, who took charge of the match.
Clattenburg, who joined Nottingham Forest as a referee consultant earlier this year, has now bizarrely claimed he deserves credit for that moment - because he played advantage during the match.
"I cautioned Adebayor for inciting that small riot, of course, but it is amusing to think that infamous celebration might never have happened were it not for what I decided to do seconds earlier," he explained in The Mail.
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"Shaun Wright-Phillips had been fouled by Gael Clichy over on the right wing. My assistant had flagged for the foul but I signalled for the advantage to be played. Wright-Phillips got up off the ground, crossed the ball, and Adebayor headed it beyond Manuel Almunia before all hell broke loose."
Adebayor defended his actions years later and urged Arsenal fans to "forget" his celebration. Speaking to Sky Sports, the former Gunners fan favourite said: "I think the fans can forget what happened in 2009 when I ran the length of the pitch.
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Adebayor's celebration sparked furious scenes in the away end (Getty Images)"Today I will make it clear, I don't think any human being would accept it if people were singing about and insulting your family, especially your mother and your father."
He continued: "It's behind me now, I hope it is behind them. We all love football. And every once in a while when they see that celebration on television and social media, hopefully now they can laugh it off and move on. That's what I wish for the Arsenal fans and I wish them the best of luck this year."
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