Manchester City Midfielder Yaya Toure has poured his heart out in a stunning interview with French Sports newspaper L’Equipe.
“Everyone thinks that I’m happy,” said Toure, who added that he is “sick of football”.
“I’ve won titles, earned lots of money, but no, I’m not happy.”
According to Eurosport, the Ivory Coast star also told the publication of his “disgust” at how he is treated by the British press, suggesting that he was hauled over the coals unfairly last season.
“I scored 12 goals even though I had to leave my club to join my national team who were taking part in the African Nations Cup. I was away for almost two months and they reproach me for not having scored as many goals as the season before?” he said.
“The season before, as it happens, I scored 26 goals—20 in the Premier League—and nobody mentioned it. You can understand my disgust a little bit.”
Toure also defended both his wages – reportedly around £200,000 a week – and his motivation for moving to City in the first place.
“Journalists talked about my salary, saying it was a disgrace. But I only came to the club to help it develop and to win titles. A lot of people — beasts, I have to say — made fun of me when I said that.
“They asked what I, Yaya Toure, was going to change at City. And did you see what happened after that? We won nearly everything.
“I did it, we did it because I was not alone, of course, but no one said a thing. It’s a bit disgusting.
“These people are not very smart. I do not have the habit of doing interviews, I only say what I think.
“I’ve suffered for years, and now I have decided to talk. I mean everything.”
Toure also hit out at his critics in his native Ivory Coast, who have questioned his commitment to the national side that he helped win the African Cup of Nations this year, referring to himself as “the most insulted player” on the team.
“With the Ivory Coast, it is the same … When you see people hate you when you come to defend the your country’s colours, it hurts you.
“I was denigrated, even through songs, politicians began to insult me. It hurts a lot. The national team doesn’t have anything to do with football any more. I love my country. If that was not the case, if I resented [my country], yes, I would have said ‘I quit’.”
Posted by Janice Johnson
