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First African coach in the Champions League
Ivorian Yaya Touré, who is preparing to become the first African coach to lead a team in the UEFA Champions League, expressed his happiness at the dawn of a "new era," on the eve of his team Slovan Bratislava's match against France's Paris Saint-Germain.
The former midfielder arrived at the Slovak club this summer and managed to lead them to qualify for the most important European club competition after passing several preliminary rounds and then play-offs.
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) confirmed to Agence France-Presse (AFP) that no African has ever held the position of head coach in a Champions League match.
Portuguese Carlos Queiroz, born in Mozambique, and Frenchman Jean Tigana, born in Bamako, had previously coached in the competition.
Touré said during the press conference on the eve of the match, "It is true that it seems a bit strange, because after qualifying in the play-offs, when I heard this information, I found it interesting."
He added, "But it also makes me happy. There is a new era, and this is important. Things are changing, and there are people who have the courage to give opportunities to young coaches and move towards positivity. I would like to thank Robert (Vittek) and Ivan (Kmotrík Jr., both club officials), who had this vision, and I will not call it kindness but understanding. It is not easy, it is very difficult for us, and we have to work twice or three times as hard."
Touré (43) is undergoing his first experience as a head coach after several stints in Saudi Arabia, Belgium, and England as an assistant coach or within the development sector.
During his playing career, he defended the colors of France's Monaco, Spain's Barcelona, and Manchester City, with whom he won three Premier League titles.
The former Ivorian international (97 international caps) confirmed that he does not feel "any pressure," but rather the "pleasure" of playing his first match in the Champions League this season against the title holders, Saint-Germain, whom he is treating with caution despite their recent decline in results.
He said, "Paris remains Paris, one of the biggest clubs. Over the past two years, it has been exceptional. We will try to play with all our might, without fear, with a lot of confidence and desire."
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