Yaya Touré will make history this evening when he takes his seat on the ŠK Slovan Bratislava bench for their UEFA Champions League league-phase opener against holders Paris Saint-Germain, becoming the first African coach to lead a team in the competition proper, beyond the qualifying rounds.
The Ivorian, a Champions League winner with Barcelona in 2009, guided Slovan Bratislava past NK Celje in the play-off round last month to seal the Slovak champions’ place among Europe’s elite this season and with it, his own entry into the competition’s history books.
Touré’s achievement builds on ground broken by Nigerian coach Ndubuisi Egbo, who led Albanian side KF Tirana into Champions League qualifying in 2020 after winning the Albanian league title, but whose side did not progress to the group stage. Touré’s arrival in the league phase proper marks a further step forward for African representation in the sport’s top technical roles.
It is true that it feels a bit strange. But on a personal level it is really nice. This is an important new era. We can say that things are now changing and moving forward.” Yaya Touré
Speaking ahead of the fixture, Touré reflected on the significance of the occasion, describing it as both a personal achievement and a marker of broader change within the game.
Touré’s Slovan Bratislava side head into the PSG fixture in strong form. Since his appointment as head coach his first senior managerial role following spells as an assistant with Tottenham Hotspur’s academy and the Saudi Arabia national team under Roberto Mancini, the Slovak champions have won the majority of their matches across all competitions and currently sit atop the Nike Liga table.