Manchester City and Ivory Coast legend Yaya Toure has once again reopened old wounds with his former coach, Pep Guardiola — this time branding the iconic manager a “snake.”
Toure and Guardiola’s fractured relationship dates back to their Barcelona days. Shortly after promoting Sergio Busquets from the B team in 2010, Guardiola pushed Toure out of the club, believing Busquets was a better fit for his 4-3-3 system. Toure played a full 90 minutes just nine times in his final season at the Camp Nou before moving to Manchester City, where he became a club icon.
Their paths crossed again in 2016 when Guardiola arrived at Manchester City. The tension resurfaced immediately, as Toure was once again reduced to a bit-part role. His agent, Dimitri Seluk, publicly blasted Guardiola — comments Seluk later apologised for. But the damage was done, and Toure eventually left City in 2018.
Now 42, Toure has reignited the long-standing feud.
Speaking on the ZACK YouTube channel, the former midfielder didn’t hold back:
“I don’t see a man, I see a snake,” he declared.
Toure claimed Guardiola tried to convince him to stay at Barcelona back in 2010, despite barely playing him. He said his wife warned him against trusting the coach:
“He treated you like dirt… Sheytan, he’s not a man, he’s wicked,” she reportedly told him.
According to Toure, despite shining at the 2010 World Cup, Guardiola only wanted him back when it suited him — further fueling the bad blood between them.
Despite the drama, Yaya Toure’s career remains one of football’s most decorated. He won:
• 3 Premier League titles
• 2 LaLiga titles
• 1 UEFA Champions League
• 5 domestic cups
He was also crowned African Footballer of the Year four times in a row (2011–2014) and lifted the AFCON trophy in 2015.
