Yaya Touré calls Pep Guardiola 'snake' in explosive rant
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| Photo: Reuters |
The former Ivory Coast star revisited years of tension with Guardiola, lifting the lid on a fractured relationship that spans both Barcelona and City.
Touré's comments, made during an appearance on the ZACK YouTube channel, reopen one of football's most infamous manager-player rifts.
The 42-year-old described how he felt marginalised by Guardiola in both Spain and England, and even revealed his wife's stinging verdict on the coach.
From Barcelona Breakdown to Manchester City Frustration
Touré and Guardiola first clashed at Barcelona, where the new boss elevated Sergio Busquets into the holding midfield role at the expense of the Ivorian.Despite Touré performing well when selected, including shining at the 2010 World Cup, he was sold to City soon after, a decision that reportedly left lasting resentment.
Recalling that period, Touré said:
I don't see a man, I see a snake.The pair reunited in 2016 when Guardiola took charge of City.
The Barcelona coach calls me back then and says, "You have to come back, it's important."
My wife says to me, "Are you going to listen to that nonsense? He treated you like dirt, and now he wants you to stay, and you're going to stay? Sheytan, he's not a man, he's wicked."
She sees him as a negative person.
But once again, Touré found himself pushed to the fringes.
Guardiola left him out of the Champions League squad, triggering a public row involving Touré's agent, Dimitri Seluk.
Although Seluk later apologised, Touré played only a limited role before leaving the club in 2018.
A Feud That Stubbornly Refuses to Fade
Touré has previously accused Guardiola of having "problems with Africans" - comments he later claimed were misquoted.The midfielder ultimately wrote a letter apologising to Guardiola, but his latest outburst signals that the relationship remains deeply strained.
Touré is not the only former player to have spoken critically of Guardiola.
Samuel Eto'o has previously questioned their personal relationship, whilst Zlatan Ibrahimović infamously slammed Guardiola in his autobiography I Am Zlatan, claiming the manager avoided confrontation and calling him a "spineless coward."
Touré's Legacy vs Guardiola's Decisions
Despite the turmoil, Touré enjoyed immense success at both clubs.At Barcelona, he won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League.
Whilst at City, he became a Premier League icon, scoring 80 goals in 316 appearances and lifting three Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups.
Yet Touré insists he never felt fully valued by Guardiola, arguing that key moments in his prime were overshadowed by tactical decisions and personal friction.
Animosity That Shows No Sign of Ending
With Touré once again reigniting the dispute, the feud appears far from settled.Guardiola has consistently chosen not to escalate the conflict publicly, but Touré's latest remarks ensure the saga between one of the world's most successful managers and one of the Premier League's greatest midfielders continues to cast a long shadow.
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