Legendary footballer Emmanuel Adebayor has said that ego among players is a key factor contributing to Real Madrid’s poor start to the 2026/2027 season.
He explained that during his stint with the club, when top players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuaín and Karim Benzema played together, the team faced similar challenges. However, he said those issues were well managed, allowing the team to excel and win major trophies.
Adebayor noted that the situation is different in the current dispensation, with head coach José Mourinho struggling to manage the egos in the dressing room, which he believes is reflected in the lack of cohesion among the front three.
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“We won the league so many times. We won the European Championship. So for me today, Mourinho will still come and say, ‘I'm Mourinho.’ Remember that every generation has its own ego.
“Obviously, I was playing with Higuaín and Benzema and Ronaldo up front at the same time. We had the same kind of ego. But when you come to today, it's kind of different because obviously our ego is different. After all, we want to win. They also want to win.
"But now Mourinho has been struggling for the last—don't get it twisted, Mourinho is my guy, but he has been struggling for the last five, six years. Coming back to Madrid, his power is not like before anymore,” he said in an interview with TV3.
Adebayor noted that, given the difficulties the team is going through, he expects Mourinho to make some drastic decisions to restore the team to its best form, as he has done throughout his managerial career.
“When Mourinho was Mourinho, Mbappé was young. You know what I mean? So they don't really know the personality of the person. So now I think they are all learning it.
“But knowing Mourinho, I'm pretty sure that this week he will go and see the president and tell him what he wants. And when they come back from the national break, he will tell them, either it's you guys, or it's me. Either I will get sacked, or I will sack you first,” he added.
Watch the video below:
"Mourinho was struggling for the last five, six years. His power is not like before. When he talks to Mbappe, he will not fully listen. Knowing Mourinho, he will tell the President what he wants this week. Either he gets sacked or sacks the players." Emmanuel Adebayor explains… pic.twitter.com/EAyh6n5rLv
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