Yaya Toure Backed to Make Future Premier League Return as Manager
Yaya Toure is under contract at Bratislava until June 2029 after becoming the first African coach to take charge of a side in the Champions League proper, and Emmanuel Eboue believes the former Manchester City midfielder can eventually return to England as a Premier League manager.
Eboue, who remains in contact with his former Ivory Coast team-mate, said Toure’s rise in coaching has been closely followed at home. The ex-Arsenal defender feels Toure could open the door for more Ivorian managers to reach the English top flight.
“Why not? Maybe one day Yaya Toure will be there,” Eboue said. “Everybody in Ivory Coast is very proud of what he is doing. Yaya is my friend and I speak to him sometimes.”
He added: “I believe one day he can come back to England as a manager because he is doing very well. Maybe one day we will see an Ivorian manager in the Premier League. Why not?”
Toure’s route into management
Toure has built his coaching career patiently since gaining his UEFA Pro Licence. The three-time Premier League champion worked as an assistant at Olimpik Donetsk, Akhmat Grozny and Standard Liege, while also spending the 2022-23 campaign in Tottenham Hotspur’s academy setup.
He then joined Roberto Mancini’s Saudi Arabia staff as lead assistant, a role that added senior international experience before Toure moved into a head-coach position himself.
His Bratislava appointment brought a landmark moment in August, when he became the first African manager to oversee a team in the Champions League’s main competition. The European campaign began with a 6-1 loss against reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain on matchday one.
Toure has nevertheless kept faith with an attacking 4-3-3 approach. His immediate task is to handle Bratislava’s domestic ambitions while adapting to the demands of Champions League football as the schedule intensifies.
