Pep Guardiola has problems with African players, says Yaya Toure

Yaya Toure has accused Pep Guardiola of having “problems with Africans” following his exit from Manchester City.

Toure and Guardiola’s relationship has been shaky since their time together at Barcelona.

The Ivorian struggled for regular starts under the Spaniard over the last two years and has now been released by the club.

He played just 17 times in the 2017/18 English Premier League season and admits he wondered if it was due to his “colour”.

“He insists he has no problems with black players because he is too intelligent to be caught out,” Toure said in an interview which will be published on Tuesday.

“But when you realise that he has problems with Africans, wherever he goes, I ask myself questions.

“He will never admit it. But the day he will line up a team in which we find five Africans, not naturalised, I promise I will send him a cake.

“I think I was dealing with someone who just wanted to take revenge on me, who was jealous of me, who took me for his rival. I felt humiliated.”

Furthermore, Toure accused Guardiola of being manipulative, insinuating that the Spanish coach feels threatened by him.

“Pep likes to dominate and wants to have obedient players who lick his hands,” he said.

“I do not like this kind of relationship. I respect my coach but I am not his thing. Like all players, I have bickered with my coaches. But at a certain point, men who do not understand each other reconcile.

“This is not possible with Pep, who is very rigid. The other players will never admit it publicly but some have already told me that they ended up hating him.

“Every time we passed each other, he seemed embarrassed. As if I made him a little self-conscious. As if, also, he had understood that I knew him perfectly.”

Toure also said the former Bayern Munich coach denied him of an appropriate farewell to City.

He said: “He stole my farewells with City. I would have liked to leave this club with emotion, as Iniesta and Buffon were able to do. But Pep stopped me.”

The Ivorian played 319 times over eight years with City, winning three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and two League Cups.