Yaya Toure agent Dimitri Seluk lets rip at Pep Guardiola again after Ivorian’s Manchester City hell
Yaya Toure's agent has launched another astonishing attack on Man City boss Pep Guardiola which could see the end of the Ivory Coast star at the Etihad
YAYA TOURE’S controversial agent has pleaded with Manchester City’s top brass to reprimand Pep Guardiola.
Dimitri Seluk launched his THIRD verbal assault on the City boss following his decision to axe Toure from his Champions League squad.
PA:Press Association
Guardiola is refusing to play the Ivory Coast midfielder — who earns £220,000 a week — until he receives an apology from Seluk for his rants.
In his latest outburst, the Ukrainian accuses Guardiola of having a “s*** personality” and now wants billionaire Arab owner Sheikh Mansour and chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak to censure the Spaniard.
Facebook - Dimitri Seluk
Seluk said: “They must say to Guardiola, ‘Yaya is our family’. How is it possible to speak like this? It is not correct to do that. It is not correct to give up on a top-class player. But this is his decision — he is a good coach but his personality is s***.
“If Yaya is on the field or not, everyone will ask: ‘What is this decision from Guardiola?’
“Normally a person cannot make a decision like this. And it is England, not North Korea or Afghanistan — so people will discuss whether it is right and they will have their opinions.”
Toure’s father Mory has also begged Guardiola to give his son another chance, and said: “I ask him for forgiveness, to let my son do his work.”
Seluk expects Toure, 33, to stay at the Etihad until his contract expires at the end of the season.
City are reluctant to let him play for a Premier League title rival but he can openly talk to clubs about a pre-contract in January when he will have six months left on his deal.
Seluk said: “He has a contract until June and he will stay.
“If they want him to leave they must make a conversation with me and then it is if we agree.”
City face Celtic in a Champions League ‘Battle of Britain’ on Wednesday night.
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But Brendan Rodgers’ men will NOT have to contend with Toure, who was controversially omitted from City’s Champions League squad.
And Seluk believes the Etihad club will live to regret their decision.
After all, it was Toure who stepped into central defence for Guardiola in the 2009 Champions League final, which Barcelona won 2-0 against Manchester United in Rome.
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Come the second half of the season, Guardiola may need a player with experience of winning in Europe and the Premier League.
Seluk added: “It is necessary to remember that Yaya, when he was in Barcelona, played as a defender and they won against Man United.
“OK, Guardiola has won matches this season, so everyone must only see his fantastic football.
“But his personality is far from great. I repeat the message from everywhere that he has been from Barcelona to Bayern Munich. Many people don’t like him.
“Many people don’t understand how it is possible to do what he has done with players.”
Seluk claimed Guardiola’s decision to axe Toure “humiliated” the midfielder and says he should have the “balls” to apologise if City fail to win the Champions League this season.
City may need Toure, especially when Vincent Kompany is struggling with injury. His leadership will still be valuable to City at the business end of the season.
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But it is clear that it has got personal between Seluk and Guardiola.
The agent added: “It is very strange. All supporters like Guardiola but my opinion is that supporters also see that Yaya gave City a lot.
“They won the title two times with him and won cups. We’ll see what Pep does. When Yaya came to the club they spent only £20million on players, not Guardiola who comes and buys three or four big signing — maybe he’ll spend £1billion on players.
“After that he will say it is very difficult and £1bn is not enough.
“If he comes to West Brom would he win the title?
“Ranieri, Koeman and Pochettino show what is possible with less money. It is more easy with half a billion pounds.”
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Bad blood between Seluk and Guardiola started when Toure was at Barcelona under the Spaniard.
He was sold to City during Pep’s tenure at Barca.
And Toure’s representative is not shy of controversy. He sparked a ‘Cakegate’ row over his client’s birthday three years ago when Seluk accused City of disrespecting his player by not wishing him a happy birthday. Seluk told SunSport: “The question wasn’t about the cake. The question was attention.”
The fall-out between the pair surfaced again this week when Guardiola said he would not pick Toure until Seluk apologised for his comments.
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But Toure’s long-time confidant said there would be no apology — leaving the player in limbo.
City appear to have moved on, with Kevin De Bruyne now pulling the strings in central midfield.
Whatever happens to Toure, he will leave City with two Premier Leagues, two League Cups and an FA Cup.
Seluk said: “I don’t know about him being thought of as a legend.
“But he is training fine, he is ready and Guardiola must make a decision whether to play him.”
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