Ivorian football legend Yaya Touré has launched a blistering verbal attack on his former manager, Pep Guardiola, using fiery rhetoric to describe the coach’s character in a recent media appearance.
Touré, speaking on the YouTube show “Zack en Roue Libre,” did not mince words when discussing his relationship with Guardiola, whom he played under at both FC Barcelona and Manchester City.
“When I look at Pep Guardiola, I don’t see a man, I see a snake,” the Ivorian midfielder was quoted as saying, delivering one of the most inflammatory public critiques directed at the acclaimed Spanish coach.
The former African Player of the Year elaborated on a moment when Guardiola attempted to recall him to the team, a move his wife strongly advised against. Touré recounted his wife’s warning regarding the manager: “He treated you like dirt, and now he wants you to stay, and you’re going to stay? Let’s go to Manchester, my brother.”
Touré further accused Guardiola of opportunism, alleging he was ignored for an entire season only to be sought after following the 2010 World Cup when his profile increased.
The tension between the two, Touré suggested, was apparent even to his family. He quoted his wife’s assessment of Guardiola’s morality, stating she referred to him as “Sheytan, he’s not a man, he’s wicked.” The accusations revive long-standing tensions dating back to Touré’s departure from Barcelona in 2010 and his subsequent treatment during their time together at Manchester City.
