Former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has been named Saudi Arabia assistant manager.
Toure joins the staff of Saudi coach Roberto Mancini.
The pair worked together at City and Toure leaves his role with Standard Liege to take the post.
The former midfielder also spent time coaching inside Tottenham’s academy last season.
Mancini was named Saudi Arabia’s head coach in August and has taken charge of four matches since then.
Dimitri Seluk, Yaya Toure’s agent, has noted that the African curse placed on Pep Guardiola to stop him from winning the UEFA Champions League has been lifted.
Recall that Guardiola and Seluk became sworn enemies when the former gave Toure only one start in the Premier League during the 2017/2018 season.
He also queried Guardiola’s approach to selecting African players.
In the wake of the comments, Seluk said that an “African curse” would stem from Toure’s anger with his coach and hinder any future chance of glory in Europe.
But according to the UK Mirror, Seluk has now apologised.
“I want to apologise for this matter. I think it is time for this bitterness to stop – and I know that Yaya feels the same because he wishes nothing but success for City.
“I can say that the spell has now been lifted by the shamans – and that I think City will win the Champions League under Pep,” Seluk said.
Ivorian and Manchester City legend, Yaya Toure, has tipped his former club to win the premier League title ahead of league leaders Arsenal this season.
According to Toure, the gunners will still drop points, insinuating that there is a very long way to go for both teams chasing the title.
“At the moment, it’s really tight. Man City are just playing really well and are hoping Arsenal will drop points,” Toure told talkSPORT.
“I think Arsenal will drop points. It’s a long way still, the pressure is there. Man United are still doing well, Liverpool [had] a brilliant result a few days ago, and Arsenal are competing fantastically well.
“I don’t want to say it’s a decider of the league, as it is a long way to go. I hope Man City will do it because I am a fan of Man City.”
“At the moment, it’s really tight. Man City are just playing really well and are hoping Arsenal will drop points,” Toure told talkSPORT.
“I think Arsenal will drop points. It’s a long way still, the pressure is there. Man United are still doing well, Liverpool [had] a brilliant result a few days ago, and Arsenal are competing fantastically well.
“I don’t want to say it’s a decider of the league, as it is a long way to go. I hope Man City will do it because I am a fan of Man City.”
Arsenal are currently five points ahead of Man City on the Premier League table with 12 games remaining.
“At the moment, it’s really tight. Man City are just playing really well and are hoping Arsenal will drop points,” Toure told talkSPORT.
“I think Arsenal will drop points. It’s a long way still, the pressure is there. Man United are still doing well, Liverpool [had] a brilliant result a few days ago, and Arsenal are competing fantastically well.
“I don’t want to say it’s a decider of the league, as it is a long way to go. I hope Man City will do it because I am a fan of Man City.”
Former Super Eagles and Chelsea midfielder, John Obi Mikel has claimed that he was robbed of the African Footballer of The Year Award in 2013.
Recall that Mikel Obi missed out on winning the awards in 2013 to Ivorian legend, Yaya Toure despite winning the 2013 AFCON in South Africa.
According to Mikel, everybody left the stage when Toure was handed the 2013 African Footballer of the Year Award ahead of him.
“I was at the airport flying to Nigeria because the ceremony was in Nigeria, and Man City was playing, and Yaya Toure scored two goals.
“I won the Nations cup (AFCON), I won the Europa League and a year before that, I won the Champions League. There is no way I wouldn’t have won it. I knew I had won it. It doesn’t matter how many goals he scored. I was in my prime, playing a lot of games.
“You could have seen the ceremony. Before it was even announced, everybody left the stage, people left.”
Yaya Toure’s agent, Dimitriy Seluk’s comments from 2018 have again resurfaced where he claimed African curse is the reason why Manchester City’s manager, Pep Guardiola cannot win the UEFA Champions League again.
City snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against Real Madrid on Wednesday night, losing their semi-final second leg 3-1 at the Bernabeu to exit the competition with a 6-5 aggregate defeat.
Guardiola’s side had looked to be on course for the final after Riyad Mahrez’s goal put them 1-0 up on the night, and 5-3 ahead in the tie.
But two dramatic late goals from Madrid substitute Rodrygo sent the semi-final to extra-time before Karim Benzema sealed victory for the home side from the penalty spot.
It is now 11 years since Guardiola last won the Champions League while at Barcelona. That is despite him coaching the biggest club in Germany, Bayern Munich, and now the richest club in England since his time at the Nou Camp.
Seluk’s comments from 2018 resurfaced again, where he claimed the Catalan coach angered “all Africa” by benching the Ivory Coast international during the player’s final year at City.
“He [Guardiola] turned all Africa against himself, many African fans turned away from Manchester City.
“And I’m sure that many African shamans in the future will not allow Guardiola to win the Champions League.
“This will be for Guardiola an African curse. Life will show whether I am right or not,” Seluk said at the time
A lot to unpack there. Shamans, who boast the power of being able to invoke good or bad spirits, definitely don’t seem willing to deny Guardiola glorious domestic success wherever he goes. But Seluk is adamant.
“The fact that Guardiola ended Yaya’s career in Manchester City is not even a mistake, but a crime.
“But the boomerang will return, Pep. You will still see what the African shamans are. Remember this always,” he added.
Toure and Guardiola had a sometimes strained relationship, despite their success together. The Ivorian played in Pep’s first Champions League final win in 2009, filling in in central defence for the 2-0 victory over Manchester United.
However, in 2010 he left Barca to join Man City and did not have the fondest memories of his ex-coach.
Toure became a City legend for his attacking midfield displays while at Man City but in 2016, the pair’s paths crossed again when Guardiola arrived at the club.
Toure featured fairly regularly during Guardiola’s first season in Manchester, but was a bit-part player during 2017/18 and was allowed to leave the club at the end of the season, which apparently angered the player’s agent and – if Seluk is to be believed – African shamans.
Whatever the reason, Guardiola and City will have to wait another year for a shot at Champions League glory.
Ivory Coast ex-international and former African footballer of the year Yaya Toure has warned Nigeria’s chief coach Augustine Eguavoen on new Super Eagles invitee Emmanuel Dennis.
Toure explains that Emmanuel Dennis is a good player but plays for himself only and doesn’t track back to defend.
The ex-Man City midfielder said that coach Augustine Eguavoen shouldn’t make the mistake of starting him in the Worldcup play-offs against Ghana.
According to him, Emmanuel Dennis is good but not a very good team player, saying that he doesn’t fight with the team whenever he’s not with the ball.
Recall that Emmanuel Dennis wasn’t released to feature for Nigeria’s Super Eagles at the just concluded AFCON in Cameroon. His club Watford had claimed that his call-up letter didn’t arrive as at when due.
Dennis Joined Watford in June 2021 after reaching an agreement with Club Brugge for a five -year contract.
On 14 August, Dennis scored on his Watford debut in their league opener against Aston Villa, where Watford won 3–2. Dennis was nominated for the Premier League Player of the Month award for November 2021 after scoring and grabbing two assists in a 4–1 thrashing of Manchester United and scoring in a 4–2 defeat at Leicester City.
Dennis represented Nigeria at under-23 level before being called up to the senior team. He made his debut on 10 September 2019 in a 2–2 friendly draw to Ukraine, coming on as a 82nd-minute substitute for Samuel Chukwueze.
Former Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure has declared he wants to work in the La Masia academy.
Toure has said he would like to return to Barcelona one day in an interview with Cadena SER.
“I am finishing my coaching badges,” he explained. “Barcelona, for me, is the team where I want to end up. I don’t know if in Barça B, in the academy, but I want to work at Barcelona. I would love to work at La Masia — I still have a home in Barcelona.”
Toure played for Barça between 2007 and 2010 before moving to Manchester City, although in other circumstances he would like to have stayed at Camp Nou.
“I know that in Barcelona they love me a lot,” he added. “It was a very difficult decision for me to leave. I had everything there — football, life, climate. I had the best by my side, Xavi, Iniesta – that’s why I always want to end up in Barcelona.”
Former Ivory Coast international, Yaya Toure, has chosen Liverpool forward, Sadio Mane as the player who should have won the 2019 Ballon d’Or ahead of Barcelona captain, Lionel Messi.
The award ceremony which took place earlier in the month saw Mane finish in fourth behind Lionel Messi, Virgil van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 27-year-old has enjoyed a fine 2019, scoring 54 goals for club and country last season, as he helped Jurgen Klopp’s men to win the 2018/2019 UEFA Champions League.
Mane also led Senegal to second place at AFCON and Toure insists the forward would have landed the award ahead of Messi, adding that it was a ‘shame’ for him not to win the top individual prize.
“To be honest, he [Sadio Mane] deserved to win the Ballon d’Or first,” Toure said while speaking in Doha at the Club World Cup as a guest of FIFA.
“In Africa, we don’t see any better players than him.
“Did you see the votes? Did you see what he did in the last year, how many goals he scored, what he achieved with Liverpool?
“For me it is a shame when a team wins this trophy [the Champions League] and the winner of the Ballon d’Or is not coming from there.”
Former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has left Olympiakos, just three months after rejoining the Greek club.
The 35-year-old’s contract has been terminated by “mutual agreement”.
Toure, who was a free agent in the summer after leaving City, chose to join Olympiakos in September, where he spent the 2005-06 season.
The former Ivory Coast international, who also played for Barcelona, made just two starts and two substitute appearances while in Athens.
“Olympiakos and Yaya Toure would like to announce to the fans that they have mutually agreed to end their cooperation,” the club said in a statement.
“Yaya is leaving as a friend and the doors at Olympiakos will always be open for him. Our paths will surely cross again.”
Toure helped Olympiakos to a domestic double before leaving after one season to join Monaco 12 years ago.
He joined Barcelona in 2007 – winning the Champions League in 2009 – before moving to Manchester City in 2010, where he won the Premier League three times.
Outgoing Manchester City veteran Yaya Toure jokingly said he hates Nemanja Matic after he described the Manchester United midfielder as his toughest opponent.
Toure will depart Premier League champions City at the end of the season, which leaves the 34-year-old midfielder with only two more matches before his farewell.
The Ivory Coast international – winner of three Premier League titles – arrived from Barcelona in 2010 and came up against a host of stars in England but none tougher than towering former Chelsea midfielder Matic.
Yaya Toure, who plans to stay in the Premier League next season, said: “I hate him, this bastard!
“He’s such a difficult player to play against. Tall and strong as well. It’s been fun to play against him, even though it’s difficult. He’s powerful, he’s tall.
“To be able to find an opponent to play against me and stop me… there’s few of them, but Matic was one of the close ones who was able to give me problems. He can run. He can fall back. He can track. He can fight. He’s a good, good player.”
Yaya Toure also identified record-breaking forward Sergio Aguero as his favourite City team-mate.
“Everybody knows I have a feeling for Aguero. I love Aguero. This guy is such a good striker. He’s complete,” he said. “I love David Silva and [captain] Vincent Kompany as well.”
Toure added: “I’m going to miss my team-mates, I’m going to miss my little [Raheem] Sterling, my little [Leroy] Sane. They look like my babies.”
Pep Guardiola’s City host Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday.