Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor harmed English football's image with his inflammatory goal celebration and stamp on former Arsenal teammate Robin van Persie, according to Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore.
The Football Association is set to investigate Adebayor's charge up the pitch to celebrate in front of Arsenal fans in City's 4-2 win over the Gunners on Saturday, a game in which Van Persie was cut below the eye by what he called a "mindless and malicious stamp" from the same player.
"It doesn't do any good for the brand that is football in one sense -- of course you would rather it didn't happen," Scudamore said Monday. "(The FA) should look at it in absolutely the cold light of day with the evidence in front of them and deal with it.
"These incidents, whether it's on the field incidents like this that are beamed around the world, whether it's the isolated instances of bad behavior off the field, don't do the image of the league or football generally any good."
The FA has until Tuesday evening to charge the 25-year-old Adebayor, who could get a three-match ban alone if found guilty of violent conduct for his challenge on Van Persie.
Van Persie said he was fortunate to escape more serious injury, but City manager Mark Hughes repeated Adebayor's contention that it was an accidental collision.
"Emmanuel Adebayor sustained a tremendous amount of personal abuse from the kickoff but strongly maintains that there was no malice intended in the challenge on Robin van Persie and apologized to him when he hugged him on leaving the field of play at the end of the game," Hughes said Monday.
"The referee had a great view of the challenge from Ade and the one that preceded it by Van Persie and deemed at the time that neither were worthy of either a yellow or red card."
Adebayor, who joined City in July after ending his final season in north London subject to accusations from fans of a poor attitude and work rate, caught Van Persie's face with his boot after the Netherlands striker tried to dispossess him with a sliding tackle.
He then ran the length of the field to celebrate after scoring City's third goal. Furious Arsenal fans hurled objects on to the field and had to be controlled by stewards, one of whom was knocked unconscious.
"We expect high standards of behavior from our players and it is easy in the cold light of day, when the adrenaline has died down, to talk about what players should and shouldn't do in that situation," Hughes said. "Ade again immediately apologized but we know the FA will be reviewing the matter."
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