Emmanuel Adebayor's messy Arsenal ending as he slams Aubameyang treatment

Emmanuel Adebayor claims there's no way back for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Arsenal, insisting the club "never learn".

The Gabon international, 32, hasn't played for the Gunners since losing the captaincy last month.

"I know he's going to go through a lot because that's Arsenal for you," said Adebayor on Monday. "They never learn, they never know how to forgive."

Few will be surprised to read Adebayor's comments following his famous Arsenal exit in July 2009.

At the time, Adebayor was one of the finest strikers in the Premier League - scoring 46 goals in all competitions during the previous two campaigns.

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Manchester City, who'd recently been purchased by Sheikh Mansour, spend £25million for the striker - a significant transfer fee at the time.

"We'll miss Emmanuel - he's a great player," said then Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. "I'm sure he'll give something special to Man City."

On the face of it, it seemed as if Man City's millions had prized Adebayor away from the Emirates. But there was much more to this story.

Adebayor slammed Arsenal and their supporters shortly after the transfer was finalised, criticising them for booing him during his time at the club.

"The way the fans behaved towards me was not nice at all," he said in July 2009. "I can't understand why they were after me. I did my best for them and I was very happy there.

"I scored 30 goals in a season - it's not my fault that Milan, Barcelona or Real Madrid wanted to sign me."

Adebayor also hammered Wenger for agreeing to sell him, adding: "[My agent] didn't really say why they wanted to sell me but I found out that they need the money and someone had to leave - that was me.

"Wenger put me where I am today but he cannot stand up and say last summer I told him I wanted to leave. I told him I wanted to stay.

"I don't think our relationship is broken. I think they need the money and need to sell someone. They chose me and they got their money.

"I hope they spend it quite well and go forward. I send them all my regards."

Following Adebayor's comments, all eyes were on the Premier League fixture between Man City and Arsenal in September 2009 - his first game against his former employers.

The striker went on to score in a 4-2 win for Man City at the Etihad, yet it was his remarkable celebration that dominated headlines.

After finding the back of the net, Adebayor sprinted the entire length of the pitch - dodging his team-mates - to slide on his knees in front of the Arsenal fans.

The visiting supporters were furious, desperately trying to get past stewards and on to the pitch to confront their former hero.

Objects were hurled at Adebayor - one of which knocked out a steward - before a team-mate dragged him away from the commotion.

It quickly became one of the most iconic moments in Premier League history, one that's unlikely to be forgotten anytime soon.

To make matters worse, Adebayor was also charged with violent conducted by the FA after allegedly stamping on Robin van Persie's face.

Wenger questioned Adebayor's "attitude" and "behaviour", while Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboue said: "I have no idea why he acted like this.

"We always respected him... what he did was no good for football. I am very disappointed about it, very disappointed."

Adebayor apologised to Van Persie after accepting the FA's violent conduct charge and admitted he was "silly" to celebrate in front of the Arsenal faithful.

But he went on to say: "These people have been insulting me all game. I didn't plan it, not at all."

And speaking to the Daily Mail in April 2019, Adebayor revealed the celebration was sparked by alleged racist abuse from Arsenal fans.

"When I celebrated, the FA fined me, they punished me," he said. "Nothing happened to the Arsenal fans. So it [racism] started with me and long before me.

"I remember getting to the stadium and Arsenal fans were there. All I heard was the the chant, 'Your mother is a whore and your father washes elephants.'

"My father worked in currency exchange and my mother is a businesswoman. But this went on and on. So how can I reply? I didn't have a voice to go against thousands of supporters."

After completing a three-game ban for his stamp on Van Persie, Adebayor went on to score 14 Premier League goals to fire Man City to a fifth-place finish.

Just six months later, however, his Etihad career was over. A six-month loan spell at Real Madrid followed before he well and truly cut all links with the Gunners.

Adebayor joined Arsenal's arch-rivals Tottenham - initially on loan - and went on to spend four years at White Hart Lane.

In his first North London derby wearing the famous white jersey, he assisted Rafael van der Vaart's opening goal in a 2-1 win.

He then scored Tottenham's second goal in their 5-2 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates in February 2012, before receiving a red card in the same fixture nine months later.

That proved to be the final major act in Adebayor's relationship with Arsenal supporters. Neither party has forgiven one another since the player's exit nearly 13 years ago - and that doesn't look like changing anytime soon.

Whether Aubameyang can still have a career at the Emirates remains to be seen. If he does leave, though, surely his exit won't be as turbulent as Adebayor's.