Former Manchester City and Barcelona midfielder Yaya Touré has explained why he deliberately took his time before stepping into management, revealing that his experiences working alongside established coaches helped prepare him for his first head coaching role at Slovakian champions Slovan Bratislava.

The former Ivory Coast international, who retired from professional football in 2019, has spent the years since his playing career developing his coaching knowledge, working as an assistant coach and gaining experience with young players.

Touré enjoyed an illustrious career, winning the UEFA Champions League with Barcelona during the 2008/09 season and securing domestic titles in Spain and England. He was also named African Player of the Year four consecutive times, in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Despite his achievements on the pitch, the 101-cap Ivory Coast legend understood that success as a player would not automatically translate into success as a manager.

Speaking to UEFA, Touré said football remained central to his life after retirement, but he was determined to learn the profession properly rather than rush into a senior coaching position.

“Football has been my passion, my whole life, my everything, actually, and it was really important to me to stay involved. I didn’t want to rush things,” he explained.

Touré revealed that relationships with former managers and club directors helped him gain opportunities to learn different aspects of coaching and management.

He believes those experiences were crucial to his development, particularly given the difficulties some former professional players encounter when transitioning into coaching.

“I used some of my contacts, namely former managers or directors of mine who opened the doors of their clubs to me. It allowed me to learn, to improve my knowledge and to develop other skills to become an all-round coach,” he said.

“We’ve seen very good former players have a more challenging time as coaches. That’s why I wanted to take my time, learn all the ropes.”

His coaching journey included a spell as assistant coach at Ukrainian club Olimpik Donetsk before returning to Tottenham Hotspur to work with the academy.

He subsequently moved to Belgium, where he worked at Standard Liège, before continuing his development in Saudi Arabia as an assistant to Roberto Mancini with the national team.

Touré credited those experiences and the guidance of experienced football figures with helping him reach the point where he felt ready to take responsibility for a team of his own.

“After my spell in Ukraine, I went back to Tottenham, where I worked with the academy. After that, I was lucky enough to work in Belgium with a great sporting director at Standard Liège,” he said.

“That continued in Saudi Arabia, where I worked as national team assistant to Roberto Mancini, who also took care of me and helped me.”

The former midfielder added that his experiences eventually convinced him that the time had come to begin a new chapter as a head coach.

“And from that moment on, I thought I had everything I wanted, and that it was now the time for me to go out on my own,” Touré said.

His appointment at Slovan Bratislava represents a significant step in his post-playing career, giving him the opportunity to put years of learning into practice and establish his own identity as a manager.

For a player who achieved success at the highest level of European football, the challenge now is to translate that experience into results from the touchline. Touré’s decision to take the longer route into management reflects his belief that patience, learning and preparation are essential to building a successful coaching career.