The words war between Manchester City and Yaya Touré’s representative escalated on Tuesday when Pep Guardiola insisted the midfielder will not play for him again unless his agent apologises for comments aimed at the manager following the omission of Ivorian from the Champions League squad club.
Touré played for Guardiola at Barcelona before being sold to City in 2010. Toure was surprisingly omitted from the 25-man squad this month and has yet to feature for the club this season.
Dimitri Seluk questioned whether Guardiola had the balls to say that he was wrong to humiliate a great player like Yaya should City not win the Champions League.
The 45 year old player said that He must apologise to his team-mates, to the club. If he does not, he won’t play. It was difficult to leave him out of the Champions League squad. He has not had the courage to call me. From that moment he was out. I know him, I know he is a good guy, but it was difficult for me as well to put Aleix García out.
I cannot imagine in my period when I was a football player, my manager going to the media and speaking against Johan Cruyff, about this and about that. If he has a problem call the club, and they can talk. Until he speaks, Yaya is not going to play.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, he said that if Pep Guardiola wants a war, then he can have one. Pep did not like my opinion. Unfortunately for Pep, we live in a world where you have the right to free speech. He has reacted to what I have said about him by punishing Yaya again. But I’m not surprised.
Seluk added that Pep does not want players with personality. He only wants those players who are scared of him and the players will do what he says. He did when he arrived at City was to pick a fight with Joe hart and Yaya. These are the biggest players of the club.
Joe Hart is the goalkeeper of England. Yaya has won the African Footballer of the Year four times. They are the big personalities in the dressing room at City, but Guardiola does not like that.
At first time, when you go to someone’s house then you should treat them with respect. You do not go into someone’s house and ask them to leave. He was the same at Barcelona.
Later, Seluk said Sky Sports News that Guardiola wins a few games and thinks he is king. I live in Europe so I can say what I like and Guardiola can not stop me. I will apologise to Guardiola if he will apologise to Pellegrini for what he did to him. If you are a gentleman this just does not happen.
