Yaya Toure set to make Champions League history with Slovan Bratislava
Bratislava coach Toure will make Champions League history on Wednesday when he becomes the first African manager to lead a side in the competition, with his team opening their league-phase campaign away to holders Paris Saint-Germain.
The Slovakian side arrive at the Parc des Princes after negotiating three qualifying rounds against Iberia Tbilisi, Mjallby and Celje. Their reward is an immediate meeting with a PSG squad featuring Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue.
Who is affected
- Toure: The 43-year-old Ivorian faces a landmark night in Paris and has told his players not to be intimidated by PSG’s individual quality.
- Bratislava: The visitors are fourth in their domestic Super Liga after two successive league losses, but Toure wants a fearless response on the European stage.
- PSG: Luis Enrique’s defending champions are looking for a convincing result after an underwhelming opening to the Ligue 1 season left them 13th.
Toure said his players must keep fighting even if PSG beat them repeatedly in one-on-one situations. He wants to review after the final whistle what they learned and what they managed well against one of Europe’s strongest teams.
“We have to make it difficult for them,” Toure said. “We need courage, determination and passion. We will make errors and we will suffer, but I am eager to see the performance of my team.”
The former Barcelona midfielder also praised Luis Enrique, whose PSG side have won successive continental titles. Toure described the Spaniard as among the world’s leading coaches and said Bratislava would approach the occasion with major respect while trying to produce a strong display.
Route to Paris and what comes next
- Bratislava beat Iberia Tbilisi in qualifying.
- They then eliminated Mjallby.
- Celje were overcome to secure a place in the league phase.
- Next comes Wednesday’s opener against PSG in Paris, before Bratislava return to Super Liga action.
