Guardiola says Touré will not play for Manchester City until agent apologises

Pep Guardiola has demanded an apology from Yaya Toure’s camp before the Ivorian midfielder will be allowed to play for the club again.



Guardiola also declared that Manchester City’s target is to win this season’s English Football League Cup.

Toure’s agent Dimitri Seluk had openly criticised Guardiola’s decision to leave his client out of City’s Champions League squad and claimed that the club would lose their African support.

Guardiola said: “A manager has to make his job. If he has a problem he should speak to people at the club. But the day after, his manager [agent] went to the media. He [Yaya] has not had the courage to call me.”

The City manager also added: “I cannot imagine when I was a player that my manager [agent] would go to the media and speak against [former Barcelona coach] Johan Cruyff and say about this and that.

“Maybe it is a new period and things are changing. But I am an old guy. In the old generation, the manager has to make his job and the player his job, trainer his job.”

Guardiola will get his baptism of fire in the League Cup when City travel to Liberty Stadium to face Swansea on Wednesday night.

City are the current League Cup champions after defeating Liverpool on penalties in last season’s final in Wembley stadium.

“We are going to try and win the EFL Cup,” Guardiola said in his press conference on Tuesday.

Guardiola hinted that Vincent Kompany could make a return to the team while ruling out Toure and Fernando against Swansea.

“We will play some players who don’t have the opportunity to play that often. We have many great young players here at Manchester City.

“Vincent kompany has a chance of playing, Yaya Toure and Fernando are not ready for Wednesday.”

The former Bayern boss revealed that after Wednesday game against Swansea, he will stay back in Wales to prepare for Saturday’s English Premier League game also against the Swans.

“We will finish late Wednesday so I prefer to stay in Wales and prepare for the game on Saturday there.”

He went on to express delight following the positive comments his team is getting.

“I’m happy people are saying positive things about my team but that’s not happening because of me it is what my players are doing.”