Emmanuel Adebayor has certainly generated headlines wherever he has played during his career.
The striker was one of the infamous ‘bomb squad’ who were frozen out at Tottenham by Mauricio Pochettino before the club’s rise under the Argentine.
Despite being away from the limelight of the Premier League for a numbe of years, the 36-year-old still finds himself in the media spotlight.
The Mirror report that the striker is coming under criticism in his native Togo for failing to donate to the health services in the country to aid them in the fight against COVID-19.
The former Spurs star has now launched his defence by claiming that he will not be told what to do with his money and refuses to donate any of his wealth to the relief effort in his own country.
Responding to the criticism he has received, Adebayor said in a Facebook Live video: “I always do things according to the wishes of my heart and not according to the words of others.
“For those who say that I do not donate, let me be very clear, I really do not donate. This is very simple.
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“I do what I want to do, eat the food I want, and this is the most important. Then, there will be those who criticise me for not having established a charity in Togo.
“I’m sorry that people compare me to Samuel Eto’o and Didier Drogba by asking me why I don’t have a foundation or why I don’t donate, as if I was the one who brought the coronavirus to Togo.
“I am neither the one nor the other, I am me, Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor. A word of advice for the guys regarding donations, I will not do that. Everything is clear and very simple. Thank you and good day.”
Spurs Web Opinion
I don’t think it is fair for anybody, including footballers and other celebrities, to be shamed into making donations. However, Adebayor’s response is completely tone-deaf and comes across as incredibly childish.
Countries like Togo are likely to be severely challenged in the fight against COVID-19 given the state of their medical infrastructure. People like Adebayor can certainly make a difference in the fight. However, if he doesn’t want to donate, the least he can do is stay quiet.
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