Re: Yaya Toure
Yaya Toure has attacked Manchester City again by saying the club denied him the chance to spend time with his dying brother.
Yaya Toure has attacked Manchester City by saying the club denied him the chance to spend time with his dying brother.
Ibrahim Toure died last week in Manchester aged 28 after a battle with cancer.
And Toure says the Blues denied him the chance to spend time at his sibling's bedside, instead pressing him to fly to Abu Dhabi for Premier League title celebrations.
In a column penned for France Football magazine, Toure wrote: "I confess that I am still very sad. I'm suffering because I feel I have done nothing useful for him the last few weeks.
"At the end of the season, I wanted to stay for four or five days with my brother before I flew to prepare for the World Cup with Ivory Coast.
"Except that City did not want to give me a few days.
"I went to celebrate the title championship in Abu Dhabi while my brother was in his sickbed. By fortune, Kolo was at his bedside."
Toure and City were at loggerheads at the end of the season after his agent claimed the club did not respect him.
In his latest interview he added: "After that I blame myself for not insisting and for not leading them to respect me.
"However, club officials knew that I had been suffering for a few months seeing the health of my brother decline.
"This is the reason I had several injuries at the end of the season. Because my head had taken control of my body.
"These last four months have probably been the hardest in my life.
"I have had sporting success, except that when you get home and you find yourself facing the distress of someone you love, but you do not know how you can help, it's not good."
If these are accurate quotes by him first of all when you read it seems like he has finally burned all bridges with city and the situation with his stay at the club seems over. No doubt we will insist on him submitting a written transfer request and that he forego any bonuses due to him and no doubt he will get his wish and the club will obtain best value from him. But there again if you look at actually what he said and strip away the comments and interpretation by the author. What you get is this
"At the end of the season, I wanted to stay for four or five days with my brother before I flew to prepare for the World Cup with Ivory Coast.
"Except that City did not want to give me a few days.
"I went to celebrate the title championship in Abu Dhabi while my brother was in his sickbed. By fortune, Kolo was at his bedside."
"After that I blame myself for
not insisting and for
not leading them to respect me.
"However, club officials knew that I had been suffering for a few months seeing the health of my brother decline.
"This is the reason I had several injuries at the end of the season. Because my head had taken control of my body.
"These last four months have probably been the hardest in my life.
"I have had sporting success, except that when you get home and you find yourself facing the distress of someone you love, but you do not know how you can help, it's not good."
Reading the words in bold I blame myself for not insisting (that I remain at home instead of going to Abu Dhabi but I knew Kolo was with him and decided to go) (and I blame myself for) not leading them to respect me (and I should have told them earlier of my problems and maybe asked for some compassionate leave but with the title run in I decided to play) Alternative viewpoint in brackets using the same words.
I suspect there will be one big meeting between Yaya and the club, club will probably say he is in breach of contract and could therefore sue him for the remainder of it, didn't our execs warn him about speaking out against the club after cakegate. We will sell, he will forego his loyalty bonus, then he will have a right old go at us when at PSG or Barca. Sad end to an absolutely fantastic time with us.
