Yaya Toure

Former Manchester City midfielder and Ivorian international, Yaya Toure says City boss, Pep Guardiola often has problems with Africans playing under him.

The Ivorian, who left Manchester City in May after eight years at the club, says he wants to be the first person to break the myth about Guardiola, whom he described as jealous.

“Maybe we Africans are not always treated by some in the same way as others,” said Toure in an interview with France Football.

“I do not know why but I have the impression that he was jealous, he took me for a rival. As if I made him a little shade. He was cruel to me. I came to wonder if it was not because of my colour.

“I am not the first to talk about these differences in treatment. In Barca, some have also asked the question. When we realize he often has problems with Africans wherever he goes, I ask myself questions.

“I want to be the one who breaks the myth of Guardiola,” he added.

Before Toure’s departure, the club, which is all but poised to sign France-born Algeria international, Riyad Mahrez from Leicester City named one of their training pitches after him and unveiled a mosaic of him at their training complex.

Toure played for Guardiola at Barcelona for two seasons until he was sold to City in 2010 for £24 million.

He won six major trophies in England but started just one Premier League game in City’s latest title-winning campaign –  playing for 86 minutes in their final home fixture of the season against Brighton.

Prior to the Brighton game, Guardiola said: “Yaya came here at the start of the journey. Where we are now is because of what he has done. The Brighton game we will give him what he deserves, one of the most beautiful farewells a player can receive.”

Guardiola, who also played for the Spanish national team won six league titles as a player at Barcelona, adding a further seven as a manager during spells with the Catalan club, Bayern Munich and City.

Toure started 22 league games under Guardiola in the 2016-17 season and says he was asked to stay for another year, but then used sparingly, to his utmost surprise.