Legendary Ivorian footballer Yaya Toure made history by becoming the first African coach to lead his club «Slovan Bratislava» to the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.
The Slovak club secured a place in the main European competition on Wednesday, defeating NK «Celje» over two legs with an aggregate score of 3:2.
Toure took over the club in June and quickly began delivering results, leading the Slovak champions to four league victories and earning them a spot in Europe’s most prestigious club tournament.
Path to the Champions League
«Slovan Bratislava» began its Champions League qualification in July with a 2:0 victory over the Georgian side «Saburtalo», followed by a 1:1 draw in the return leg. Then, «Slovan» defeated Swedish «Mjällby» in both matches of the second qualifying round and advanced to the playoffs. There, the Slovak club overcame Slovenian «Celje» over two legs and progressed to the group stage.
The 43-year-old Toure, considered one of the greatest African footballers of all time, was greeted by fans with the chant «Yaya Toure», which became popular during his time with successful «Manchester City» in the 2010s.
Playing and Coaching Career
Toure ended his 18-year playing career in 2019, playing as a midfielder in top European leagues and winning numerous trophies. Before joining «City» in 2010, he played for Spanish «Barcelona», with whom he won the Champions League (2008/09), two La Liga titles (2008/09 and 2009/10), Supercopa de España (2009), UEFA Super Cup (2009), and FIFA Club World Cup (2009). With «Manchester City», he won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, and three English League Cups.
Toure is one of the most decorated African footballers. He won the «African Footballer of the Year» award four times in a row, from 2011 to 2014. In 2015, he won the Africa Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast national team.
Before taking over the Slovak club, Toure worked as an assistant coach at several European clubs — from «Leyton Orient» in the UK to teams in Belgium. In 2023, he joined his former «Manchester City» manager as an assistant coach for the Saudi Arabia national team.
«Slovan Bratislava» will learn its opponents in the Champions League on Thursday evening, when the group‑stage draw takes place in Madrid.
Source: Al Jazeera
