African football legend Yaya Toure will make history as the first manager from the continent to lead a club into the main draw of the UEFA Champions League.
Toure began his coaching career in earnest with Ukrainian Premier League side Olimpik Donetsk in 2021. The Ivorian’s career took him to England, Belgium and then Saudi Arabia as assistant coach of the national team.
In June, the four-time African Footballer of the Year landed his first managerial job with Slovan Bratislava, the Slovakian domestic league champions for the last eight seasons.
Slovan Bratislava secured a place in the European club competition in August after winning their two-legged tie against NK Celje with 3-2 on aggregate. But on Wednesday, they face a different beast altogether in defending UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes in Paris.
“It is true that the matter seems a little strange, but on a personal level, it is really wonderful,” said Toure on the eve of the match.
“This is an important new era. We can say that things are changing now and moving forward.
“There are people who have enough courage to hire young coaches, enthusiastic to work, who want to push things forward in a positive way. Because it’s not easy. It’s very, very difficult for us. We have to work two or three times harder.”
