Yaya Touré
Yaya Touré is a retired Ivorian midfielder celebrated for his incredible power, vision, technique, and versatility. One of Africa’s all-time greats, he dominated midfields across Europe, from Barcelona’s tiki-taka dynasty to Manchester City’s Premier League rise, where he became a club legend.
📌 Club Career
| Years | Club | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–2003 | Beveren | 70 | 3 |
| 2003–2005 | Metalurh Donetsk | 33 | 3 |
| 2005–2006 | Olympiacos | 20 | 3 |
| 2006–2007 | Monaco | 27 | 5 |
| 2007–2010 | Barcelona | 118 | 6 |
| 2010–2018 | Manchester City | 316 | 79 |
| 2018–2019 | Qingdao Huanghai | 14 | 2 |
| Total | 598 | 101 | |
🌍 International Career
| Years | Team | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–2015 | Ivory Coast | 101 | 19 |
Touré was the heartbeat of the Ivorian national team for over a decade, leading them to three World Cup appearances and captaining the Elephants to their long-awaited Africa Cup of Nations title in 2015.
🏆 Honours
Olympiacos
- Super League Greece: 2005–06
- Greek Cup: 2005–06
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10
- Copa del Rey: 2008–09
- Supercopa de España: 2009
- UEFA Champions League: 2008–09
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2009
- UEFA Super Cup: 2009
Manchester City
- Premier League: 2011–12, 2013–14, 2017–18
- FA Cup: 2010–11
- Football League Cup: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18
- FA Community Shield: 2012
Qingdao Huanghai
- China League One: 2019
Ivory Coast
- Africa Cup of Nations: 2015
- Runner-up: 2006, 2012
⭐ Individual Awards
- CAF African Footballer of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
- CAF Team of the Year: 2008,2009,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015
- Premio Bulgarelli Number 8: 2013
- PFA Team of the Year: 2011–12, 2013–14
- BBC African Footballer of the Year: 2013, 2015
- Manchester City Player of the Year: 2013–14
- IFFHS CAF Player of the Decade (2011–2020)
- FWA Tribute Award: 2023
🎨 Style of Play
Yaya Touré was the definition of a complete midfielder. Equally capable of playing as a deep-lying playmaker or an attacking powerhouse, he combined physical dominance with technical grace. His driving runs, thunderous long-range shots, and leadership made him a match-winner capable of controlling entire games on his own.
👔 Managerial Career
- 2021 Olimpik Donetsk (assistant)
- 2021 Akhmat Grozny (assistant)
- 2022–2023 Tottenham Hotspur (academy coach)
- 2023 Standard Liège (assistant)
- 2023– Saudi Arabia (assistant)