Adebayor goes 'on strike' as his relationship with City turns ugly
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Your support makes all the difference.Emmanuel Adebayor has effectively gone on strike at Manchester City by failing to show up for training having been left out of the club's pre-season tour squad. The forward is likely to be fined at least two weeks' wages – £330,000 in total – and may be in breach of contract, after failing to show at Carrington yesterday and for a scheduled training session on Saturday.
There was a deepening rancour last night between the club and their striker – who claimed four days ago that he was considering bringing a constructive dismissal claim, having heard of his omission from the United States tour from a secretary – but City are refusing to be held to ransom by any players bought in on expensive salaries by former manager Mark Hughes two years ago.
Though Craig Bellamy, Wayne Bridge and Jo have resumed training at a club which clearly wants them out, along with goalkeeper Shay Given, whose move to Aston Villa is progressing, City will not take a hit on their balance sheet by letting them go cheaply – and because of a critical exemption put in place by Uefa's Financial Fair Play (FFP) system, they will not jeopardise their chances of complying with the break-even rules by sitting any of them in the stands next season.
Under FFP rules, the wages of any player whose contract was signed before June 2010 does not count towards the profit or loss figure which Uefa will take into account when considering if a club is eligible to play in Europe. Adebayor, Bellamy, Bridge and Given all fall within that category.
Yet, Roberto Mancini does not need an emotional, unhappy Adebayor around the club. The Togo striker has said that he has consulted lawyers about bringing a case for constructive dismissal against City and that "he has been assured he has a great chance of winning in court." The 27-year-old was moved on to Real Madrid in January, in what was a genuine coup for City chief executive Garry Cook, with the Spanish side also agreeing a buy-out option. Adebayor's poor displays in the season's defining clasicos put paid to any hopes the club might have had of him staying where he was.
Problems may also lie ahead with Bellamy, who suggested last week that City should pay off his wages on the last year of his contract. "A permanent move would be the best, but it would have to be somewhere wealthy, so I can guarantee future earnings for my charity, but that would be difficult with my current wages," he said.
City have not progressed further towards buying Arsenal's Samir Nasri, despite a report in today's France Football which suggested the player will pocket €10.7m at the club.
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