African Legend Yaya Toure has broken the ‘Guardiola myth’ revealing the Manchester City coach ‘dislikes’ African players.
Toure who has worked with Guardiola at both Barcelona and Manchester City has had a love hate relationship with him and finally let the cat out of the bag in an interview with France Football with a headline “I want to be the one who breaks the myth Guardiola.”
Toure started just one premier league game in his last campaign at City but doesn’t believe Guardiola’s assertion about his physic despite being 35 year old.
“I tried to understand. I even asked softly my stats to physical trainers,” said Guardiola. “And when I realized that they were as good or better, both in training and match, as those who played and were younger than me, I understood that it was not question of physics,” he adds.
I do not know why but I have the impression that (Pep Guardiola) was jealous, he took me for a rival. (…) As if I made him a little shade.
The former African Player of the Year also adds that the former Barcelona and Bayern München tactician was cruel to him.
He was cruel to me. Do you really think Barcelona could have done that with Iniesta? I came to wonder if it was not because of my color.
Toure, winner of three Premier League titles with Manchester City also revealed that he isn’t the first person to talk about the issues but other players too.
I am not the first to talk about these differences in treatment. In Barça, some have also asked the question. Maybe we Africans are not always treated by some in the same way as others. (…) When we realize that he often has problems with Africans wherever he goes, I ask myself questions
Toure left Etihad at the end of last season and was given a massive send off in the game against Brighton.
Manchester City and Pep are yet to respond to the accusations though.