Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola, has vowed on Tuesday that midfielder, Yaya Toure will not play again for the club as long as he remains manager, until the player’s camp apologises for comments made by his agent.
Toure’s agent, Dimitri Seluk, had accused the City manager of “humiliating” the 33-year-old by leaving him out of the club’s Champions League squad at the beginning of September.
The Ivorian midfielder, who announced his retirement from international duty on Tuesday, has been left out of all City’s squad since then.
Guardiola told a press conference on Tuesday, “The day after that, his agent spoke and in that moment, Yaya is out.”
“Unless Mr Dimitri Seluk comes back to the press or to his friends in the media -because he hasn’t the courage to call me, he goes to the media – and apologises to Manchester City first of all, then his team-mates and afterwards the trainer.
“When that happens, Yaya will be part of the group and he will have the chance to play.”
While Guardiola said that the agent should apologise for his comments, the club later indicated the manager wanted an apology from Toure.
Toure who has recovered from a migraine that kept him out of Saturday’s 4-0 Premier League win over Bournemouth, will not be considered for Wednesday’s League Cup tie at Swansea City or any other fixture until the public apology is made.
Seluk had said, “If he (Guardiola) wins the Champions League for City this season, then I will travel to England and I will say on television that Pep Guardiola is the best manager in the world.
“But if City don’t win the Champions League, then I hope that Pep has got the balls to say that he was wrong to humiliate a great player like Yaya.”
Toure only played a part in the City squad this season when he played the full 90 minutes of their Champions League play-off second-leg victory over Steaua Bucharest last month.
Guardiola added, “I cannot accept as a coach that every agent, when his player doesn’t play, goes to the media and speaks.
“I know how much Dimitri Seluk loves Yaya Toure. If he loves him, show me by apologising to Manchester City for what he said in the papers.”
Guardiola, who was part of Barcelona in the early 1990s, said he would never have dared to allow his agent to speak out against Dutch legend Johan Cruyff, the then club’s manager.
He said, “I cannot imagine in my day when a player’s agent would go to the media and speak against Johan Cruyff.
“Maybe it’s the new era, but I’m from the old generation, and an old-generation agent has to make his players his job and the coach his job.
“Today agents believe they are more than they are. If you have a problem, we can talk. Until he speaks, Yaya isn’t going to play.”
The Spaniard, however, noted that the decision to omit Toure from his Champions League squad had not been an easy one.
“It was so difficult for me to leave him out of the Champions League squad. So difficult.
“I know him and I know he’s a good guy. It was difficult as well for Aleix Garcia.”
The Ivorian who moved in from Barcelona in 2010 has won two Premier League titles, two League Cups and one FA Cup.
BIG STORY
CAF 2024 Awards: Nigeria’s ‘Super Falcons’ Wins National Team Of The Year (Female Category)
The Nigerian women’s national football team, Super Falcons, were named “National Team of the Year” at the CAF Awards 2024.
This achievement, revealed on Monday by the Confederation of African Football during the presentation ceremony in Marrakech, Morocco, further solidifies their dominance and excellence in African football.
This esteemed recognition underscores the team’s exceptional performances and significant contributions over the past year, as they continued to represent Nigeria at the pinnacle of women’s football in Africa.
The CAF Awards annually honor the best in African football, celebrating teams, players, and coaches who have excelled in their respective fields.
The Nigerian women’s team has consistently demonstrated resilience, skill, and determination on the international stage, earning the admiration of fans and experts alike.
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