Source: Telegraph
Emmanuel Adebayor given suspended twomatch ban for Arsenal celebration
Adebayor escaped with a £25,000 fine and a two-match ban, which will be suspended until December 2010, following a personal hearing at Wembley on Thursday.
The former Arsenal forward, whose actions in running the length of the field before sliding to his knees in front of the visiting supporters at Eastlands sparked unrest amongst the 3,000 Arsenal fans, had admitted an FA charge of improper conduct relating to the incident while requesting a personal hearing to plead his case for mitigation.
Having already served a three-match suspension for stamping on the face of Arsenal forward Robin van Persie during the same game on Sept 12, Adebayor and City had privately feared a further one game suspension as punishment for his inflammatory celebration.
FA chief executive Ian Watmore, a spectator at the game, publicly confessed to being "pretty unimpressed" by Adebayor’s actions, while a spokesman for Greater Manchester Police claimed that the unrest which followed the player’s celebration "must have been quite horrific for the stewards".
But despite the condemnation of Adebayor’s goal celebration, the City forward was spared a suspension following a three-and-a-half hour Regulatory Commission hearing at Wembley on Thursday.
An FA statement said: “In reaching its decision, the Commission took into account his (Adebayor’s) admission of the charge, public apology and the extremely provocative nature of the abuse he received.
“However, the Commission also stated that players have a responsibility to conduct themselves in a proper manner and that such celebrations are unacceptable and have the potential to cause a serious public order incident.”
Adebayor, who left Arsenal for City in a £25 million transfer in July, alluded last week to the abuse directed at him during the Arsenal game by claiming: "If you get abuse for over an hour, an hour of personal abuse, you are going to react."
It is understood that City’s delegation at the hearing, made up of Adebayor, the club’s legal team, secretary Bernard Halford and chief football operations officer Brian Marwood, highlighted the provocation of the player, plus comparable goal celebrations by other players in recent seasons.
Two incidents involving Manchester United defender Gary Neville, which led to a £5,000 fine for goading Liverpool supporters in 2006 and a warning for similar antics against Manchester City last month, were viewed as key precedents by City, who argued that the FA’s response in both cases would render any suspension for Adebayor as wholly inconsistent.
Similarly, the FA’s failure to take action against Van Persie for appearing to celebrate his goal during the 4-2 defeat at Eastlands directly in front of the home supporters was also raised by City.
Manager Mark Hughes has strongly supported Adebayor since the events of the Arsenal game, pointing to the fact that the Togolese remained on the field of play at all times during his celebration.
And with Brazilian forward Robinho still sidelined with a stress fracture of the ankle, Hughes admits that the Adebayor verdict is a major fillip in the build-up to Monday’s trip to Villa Park.
Hughes said: “There has been a lot said and written about Emmanuel’s goal celebration.
“We are just glad to put it all behind us now and I am relieved he will be able to play at Aston Villa on Monday night.
“Manu was in great form before his suspension and having him available again is a huge boost to us.”
It is the second time in 10 days that City have benefited from apparent leniency within the FA.
Wales forward Craig Bellamy was issued with a warning, rather than a possible three-match suspension, last week as a result of confrontation with a supporter who had entered the playing surface during the 4-3 defeat at Manchester United on Sept 20.
