Slovan Bratislava coach Yaya Toure has disclosed that the team will face Paris Saint Germain with no pressure ahead of tonight’s Champions League clash at the Parc des Princes. Speaking in a press conference, Touré shared his thoughts on the historic milestone, the structural barriers African coaches face, and his perspective on facing the defending European champions.
Despite Slovan Bratislava entering the match on the back of two consecutive domestic defeats, Touré insists his team is playing with zero pressure. “It is a pleasure. Luis Enrique is a great coach and one of the best around just now.
So to play against his team is just a pleasure.” Reflecting on becoming the first African head coach in the main round of Europe’s elite competition, Touré stated “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.
“There are people who are brave enough to take young coaches, who are eager to work, who want to move things forward in a positive way. “Because it’s not easy. It’s very, very difficult for us. We have to work two or three times harder” to get such an opportunity, Toure insisted.
Toure, who won 97 caps for Ivory Coast, was part of the Barcelona team under Pep Guardiola that claimed the Champions League title in 2009.