Yaya Touré Thanks Slovan Management and Praises Vladimír Weiss to French Media

Tonight at 9:00 PM, the reigning Slovak football champions will once again grace the prestigious Champions League stage after a two-year absence. What's more, they'll be facing the current titleholders, Paris Saint-Germain, on their home turf.

The day before the match, Slovan's manager addressed reporters, who questioned him not only about his significant coaching achievement but also about a symbolic milestone that could hold even deeper meaning than initially perceived.

Yaya Touré, though early in his coaching career, successfully led Slovan Bratislava to the Champions League. As the first African to achieve this as a head coach, he could symbolically open doors for others.

"Yes, I think that's true, and it's a bit special. When I heard the news after the successful playoff (against NK Celje, editor's note), it was quite a powerful feeling, and personally, I'm very pleased," he remarked, referencing the extensive media and social media coverage of his historic achievement as an African coach.

"It's important to know that things are moving forward today. There are people who have the courage to give young coaches a chance, coaches with a desire to work and drive things positively. I want to thank the club directors, Robert and Ivan, who showed understanding and courage to trust me," he stated to French journalists, referring to club CEO Ivan Kmotrík Jr. and sporting director Róbert Vittek.

"It's really not a given, and for us (young African coaches, editor's note), it's tough; we have to work two or three times harder than others. But they gave me a chance, even though it was challenging to replace a predecessor who did an exceptional job and won the league so many times," Touré said, praising Vladimír Weiss Sr. "For me, as a young African coach, this is a very good thing, and it gives me energy."

He then turned his attention to Slovan Bratislava, believing the club holds great potential: "I've been here for about three or four months, observing, trying to improve things, and understanding my players to help them. It takes time. Everything happened so quickly that we are currently adapting to the situation, but I'm very happy to be here and continue learning."

The former FC Barcelona and Manchester City star, a four-time African Player of the Year, later explained why he seized the opportunity from Tehelné Pole. However, Yaya Touré first had to decide to become a head coach and embark on a new life path. This didn't happen immediately after the end of his incredibly rich and amazing playing career.

"It took some time. When I stopped playing, I started working on myself and getting my coaching licenses. When a great player becomes a coach, it's often complicated," he noted.

"I took my time and traveled through various countries – I was in Ukraine, Russia, Belgium, France, and finally in Saudi Arabia with Roberto Mancini, who helped me immensely to understand the game. Traveling was key to my development," he explained.

"The most important thing for me wasn't to work with the biggest clubs, but rather with those that have fewer resources. I learned to understand the game as a whole. And now that I've been given a chance, I'll try to make the most of it," Yaya Touré declared ahead of the prestigious match against Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.