Ivorian football legend and former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has been named the new head coach of Slovak club Slovan Bratislava, the club announced on Saturday.
The former Tottenham academy coach has signed a three-year contract with Slovakia’s most successful team and is expected to be officially unveiled to supporters on Monday.
The appointment makes the 43-year-old the club’s first-ever black coach and also its first coach of African descent.
Toure reportedly left his role as assistant coach with the Saudi Arabia men’s national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup in order to take up the Slovan Bratislava position.
Club CEO Ivan Kmotrik Jr. expressed satisfaction over securing his services, saying the decision was based on his experience and ambition. He noted that the AFCON 2015 winner impressed strongly during the interview process and is confident he can succeed at the club.
“My goal was to bring in someone with the experience of the highest level of world soccer—and who is also highly motivated to make a name for himself as a coach,” Kmotrik Jr. said.
He added that early interactions with Toure convinced him of a shared vision for success.
“I had several face-to-face meetings with Yaya Touré. It all started, however, with our first video call, during which he made an amazing impression on me. That first impression was so strong that it was very difficult for other candidates to top it.
“I could tell right away that we were on the same wavelength and shared a similar mindset about how to be successful. Yaya has a great desire and motivation to succeed as a coach with Slovan Bratislava. We share high goals; we’re both young and ambitious, and we’ll do our utmost to ensure the club’s success.”
Toure, who previously worked as an assistant to Roberto Mancini before stepping into management, said he is excited to begin his new role and build on the club’s achievements.
“I want to build on that while also bringing something new and unique of my own. Football is everything to me. I love challenges and am incredibly excited to coach a great club with a rich history, a beautiful stadium, and high ambitions.
“With Slovan, I want to play dominant soccer, win games, and control matches so that we can delight our fans. I’m looking forward to getting to know the players personally. I’ve already tried to study the team in as much detail as possible, but the most important thing will still be to see how the players react during training.
“As an assistant, I had the opportunity to work with Robert Mancini, for example, but I’ve longed for a long time to be able to work on my own project as a head coach. I appreciate that this opportunity is coming at a top club, which I recently watched in a Champions League match against Manchester City. I really can’t wait for Monday; I’m excited about what lies ahead.”
Toure now faces the task of leading Slovan Bratislava into next season’s UEFA Champions League group stage while also maintaining their dominance in Slovakia, where they have won eight consecutive league titles.