Deeply adored by the blue side of Manchester, Yaya Toure has been to the summit of European football with Barcelona and he remembers it as if it were yesterday. Now, with his former club on the brink of their first-ever continental crown, the first Ivorian to win the Champions League shares his experiences and wisdom.
In their recruitment they were very kind, they were very keen. The vision of the club was to progress and become one of the top clubs in Europe. In that period, when I arrived, Manchester United were above us. That was tough, but we worked to establish our mark on the league. We had to pass them, in that period, and I think City did it. After that they carried on.
First of all you have to be fortunate; second, when you get on the field and you prepare, you have to know that this opportunity does not come every day. It all comes down to the day before the big games and how you prepare for them – how you eat, how you sleep. Are you sleeping with that on your mind? For me, that costs. When you get to the games you have to be ready, 100%: ready to warm up, ready to give more and ready to take your chance.
I think Kevin De Bruyne has become a major player; he’s a figurehead. Year after year, performing at this level is incredible. As an ex-footballer I know how difficult it is, but this guy is clearly a machine. As for Haaland, I think he is the missing piece of the puzzle. For a few years they’ve been playing without a striker like him, and now he’s a perfect fit. He scores goal after goal, he breaks records – he’s incredible.
Oh, it felt amazing. It was unbelievable. I can’t ever forget it; it was so beautiful. Andrea Bocelli was singing and his voice was incredible. The atmosphere was incredible. I still watch it on TV at times and I feel emotional again. These things don’t happen every day – that’s why it stays in your memory for a long time. Even when I get home sometimes, I have to look at the mini trophy.
It was a long time after, when I was reading the newspaper, that I found out. And at the time I thought, “Jesus, I want to put my hand on it, I want to grab it, I want to touch it,” because it felt that precious. I didn’t know that year was going to be the year we won everything.
Never. If I said “Yes” I would be lying. Given where I came from and where I started, I never believed I was going to have such a trajectory. I’m blessed to be where I am now because no one could have predicted this journey. You have these things where you cannot explain how you feel, and having achieved them is incredible. I’m very, very happy.
For them to win the Champions League is going to be a new step forward because when you win this trophy you get more respect, more fans, more value. If you want to be an established club, in the sense that you have the respect of all the other top European clubs, you have to win this trophy. Man City, since I was there, have been looking for that. They have been dreaming about it. Achieving that is going to be the ultimate prize.
Deeply adored by the blue side of Manchester, Yaya Toure has been to the summit of European football with Barcelona and he remembers it as if it were yesterday. Now, with his former club on the brink of their first-ever continental crown, the first Ivorian to win the Champions League shares his experiences and wisdom.
In their recruitment they were very kind, they were very keen. The vision of the club was to progress and become one of the top clubs in Europe. In that period, when I arrived, Manchester United were above us. That was tough, but we worked to establish our mark on the league. We had to pass them, in that period, and I think City did it. After that they carried on.
First of all you have to be fortunate; second, when you get on the field and you prepare, you have to know that this opportunity does not come every day. It all comes down to the day before the big games and how you prepare for them – how you eat, how you sleep. Are you sleeping with that on your mind? For me, that costs. When you get to the games you have to be ready, 100%: ready to warm up, ready to give more and ready to take your chance.
I think Kevin De Bruyne has become a major player; he’s a figurehead. Year after year, performing at this level is incredible. As an ex-footballer I know how difficult it is, but this guy is clearly a machine. As for Haaland, I think he is the missing piece of the puzzle. For a few years they’ve been playing without a striker like him, and now he’s a perfect fit. He scores goal after goal, he breaks records – he’s incredible.
Oh, it felt amazing. It was unbelievable. I can’t ever forget it; it was so beautiful. Andrea Bocelli was singing and his voice was incredible. The atmosphere was incredible. I still watch it on TV at times and I feel emotional again. These things don’t happen every day – that’s why it stays in your memory for a long time. Even when I get home sometimes, I have to look at the mini trophy.
It was a long time after, when I was reading the newspaper, that I found out. And at the time I thought, “Jesus, I want to put my hand on it, I want to grab it, I want to touch it,” because it felt that precious. I didn’t know that year was going to be the year we won everything.
Never. If I said “Yes” I would be lying. Given where I came from and where I started, I never believed I was going to have such a trajectory. I’m blessed to be where I am now because no one could have predicted this journey. You have these things where you cannot explain how you feel, and having achieved them is incredible. I’m very, very happy.
For them to win the Champions League is going to be a new step forward because when you win this trophy you get more respect, more fans, more value. If you want to be an established club, in the sense that you have the respect of all the other top European clubs, you have to win this trophy. Man City, since I was there, have been looking for that. They have been dreaming about it. Achieving that is going to be the ultimate prize.
Deeply adored by the blue side of Manchester, Yaya Toure has been to the summit of European football with Barcelona and he remembers it as if it were yesterday. Now, with his former club on the brink of their first-ever continental crown, the first Ivorian to win the Champions League shares his experiences and wisdom.
In their recruitment they were very kind, they were very keen. The vision of the club was to progress and become one of the top clubs in Europe. In that period, when I arrived, Manchester United were above us. That was tough, but we worked to establish our mark on the league. We had to pass them, in that period, and I think City did it. After that they carried on.
First of all you have to be fortunate; second, when you get on the field and you prepare, you have to know that this opportunity does not come every day. It all comes down to the day before the big games and how you prepare for them – how you eat, how you sleep. Are you sleeping with that on your mind? For me, that costs. When you get to the games you have to be ready, 100%: ready to warm up, ready to give more and ready to take your chance.
I think Kevin De Bruyne has become a major player; he’s a figurehead. Year after year, performing at this level is incredible. As an ex-footballer I know how difficult it is, but this guy is clearly a machine. As for Haaland, I think he is the missing piece of the puzzle. For a few years they’ve been playing without a striker like him, and now he’s a perfect fit. He scores goal after goal, he breaks records – he’s incredible.
Oh, it felt amazing. It was unbelievable. I can’t ever forget it; it was so beautiful. Andrea Bocelli was singing and his voice was incredible. The atmosphere was incredible. I still watch it on TV at times and I feel emotional again. These things don’t happen every day – that’s why it stays in your memory for a long time. Even when I get home sometimes, I have to look at the mini trophy.
It was a long time after, when I was reading the newspaper, that I found out. And at the time I thought, “Jesus, I want to put my hand on it, I want to grab it, I want to touch it,” because it felt that precious. I didn’t know that year was going to be the year we won everything.
Never. If I said “Yes” I would be lying. Given where I came from and where I started, I never believed I was going to have such a trajectory. I’m blessed to be where I am now because no one could have predicted this journey. You have these things where you cannot explain how you feel, and having achieved them is incredible. I’m very, very happy.
For them to win the Champions League is going to be a new step forward because when you win this trophy you get more respect, more fans, more value. If you want to be an established club, in the sense that you have the respect of all the other top European clubs, you have to win this trophy. Man City, since I was there, have been looking for that. They have been dreaming about it. Achieving that is going to be the ultimate prize.
Deeply adored by the blue side of Manchester, Yaya Toure has been to the summit of European football with Barcelona and he remembers it as if it were yesterday. Now, with his former club on the brink of their first-ever continental crown, the first Ivorian to win the Champions League shares his experiences and wisdom.
In their recruitment they were very kind, they were very keen. The vision of the club was to progress and become one of the top clubs in Europe. In that period, when I arrived, Manchester United were above us. That was tough, but we worked to establish our mark on the league. We had to pass them, in that period, and I think City did it. After that they carried on.
First of all you have to be fortunate; second, when you get on the field and you prepare, you have to know that this opportunity does not come every day. It all comes down to the day before the big games and how you prepare for them – how you eat, how you sleep. Are you sleeping with that on your mind? For me, that costs. When you get to the games you have to be ready, 100%: ready to warm up, ready to give more and ready to take your chance.
I think Kevin De Bruyne has become a major player; he’s a figurehead. Year after year, performing at this level is incredible. As an ex-footballer I know how difficult it is, but this guy is clearly a machine. As for Haaland, I think he is the missing piece of the puzzle. For a few years they’ve been playing without a striker like him, and now he’s a perfect fit. He scores goal after goal, he breaks records – he’s incredible.
Oh, it felt amazing. It was unbelievable. I can’t ever forget it; it was so beautiful. Andrea Bocelli was singing and his voice was incredible. The atmosphere was incredible. I still watch it on TV at times and I feel emotional again. These things don’t happen every day – that’s why it stays in your memory for a long time. Even when I get home sometimes, I have to look at the mini trophy.
It was a long time after, when I was reading the newspaper, that I found out. And at the time I thought, “Jesus, I want to put my hand on it, I want to grab it, I want to touch it,” because it felt that precious. I didn’t know that year was going to be the year we won everything.
Never. If I said “Yes” I would be lying. Given where I came from and where I started, I never believed I was going to have such a trajectory. I’m blessed to be where I am now because no one could have predicted this journey. You have these things where you cannot explain how you feel, and having achieved them is incredible. I’m very, very happy.
For them to win the Champions League is going to be a new step forward because when you win this trophy you get more respect, more fans, more value. If you want to be an established club, in the sense that you have the respect of all the other top European clubs, you have to win this trophy. Man City, since I was there, have been looking for that. They have been dreaming about it. Achieving that is going to be the ultimate prize.
Deeply adored by the blue side of Manchester, Yaya Toure has been to the summit of European football with Barcelona and he remembers it as if it were yesterday. Now, with his former club on the brink of their first-ever continental crown, the first Ivorian to win the Champions League shares his experiences and wisdom.
In their recruitment they were very kind, they were very keen. The vision of the club was to progress and become one of the top clubs in Europe. In that period, when I arrived, Manchester United were above us. That was tough, but we worked to establish our mark on the league. We had to pass them, in that period, and I think City did it. After that they carried on.
First of all you have to be fortunate; second, when you get on the field and you prepare, you have to know that this opportunity does not come every day. It all comes down to the day before the big games and how you prepare for them – how you eat, how you sleep. Are you sleeping with that on your mind? For me, that costs. When you get to the games you have to be ready, 100%: ready to warm up, ready to give more and ready to take your chance.
I think Kevin De Bruyne has become a major player; he’s a figurehead. Year after year, performing at this level is incredible. As an ex-footballer I know how difficult it is, but this guy is clearly a machine. As for Haaland, I think he is the missing piece of the puzzle. For a few years they’ve been playing without a striker like him, and now he’s a perfect fit. He scores goal after goal, he breaks records – he’s incredible.
Oh, it felt amazing. It was unbelievable. I can’t ever forget it; it was so beautiful. Andrea Bocelli was singing and his voice was incredible. The atmosphere was incredible. I still watch it on TV at times and I feel emotional again. These things don’t happen every day – that’s why it stays in your memory for a long time. Even when I get home sometimes, I have to look at the mini trophy.
It was a long time after, when I was reading the newspaper, that I found out. And at the time I thought, “Jesus, I want to put my hand on it, I want to grab it, I want to touch it,” because it felt that precious. I didn’t know that year was going to be the year we won everything.
Never. If I said “Yes” I would be lying. Given where I came from and where I started, I never believed I was going to have such a trajectory. I’m blessed to be where I am now because no one could have predicted this journey. You have these things where you cannot explain how you feel, and having achieved them is incredible. I’m very, very happy.
For them to win the Champions League is going to be a new step forward because when you win this trophy you get more respect, more fans, more value. If you want to be an established club, in the sense that you have the respect of all the other top European clubs, you have to win this trophy. Man City, since I was there, have been looking for that. They have been dreaming about it. Achieving that is going to be the ultimate prize.
Deeply adored by the blue side of Manchester, Yaya Toure has been to the summit of European football with Barcelona and he remembers it as if it were yesterday. Now, with his former club on the brink of their first-ever continental crown, the first Ivorian to win the Champions League shares his experiences and wisdom.
In their recruitment they were very kind, they were very keen. The vision of the club was to progress and become one of the top clubs in Europe. In that period, when I arrived, Manchester United were above us. That was tough, but we worked to establish our mark on the league. We had to pass them, in that period, and I think City did it. After that they carried on.
First of all you have to be fortunate; second, when you get on the field and you prepare, you have to know that this opportunity does not come every day. It all comes down to the day before the big games and how you prepare for them – how you eat, how you sleep. Are you sleeping with that on your mind? For me, that costs. When you get to the games you have to be ready, 100%: ready to warm up, ready to give more and ready to take your chance.
I think Kevin De Bruyne has become a major player; he’s a figurehead. Year after year, performing at this level is incredible. As an ex-footballer I know how difficult it is, but this guy is clearly a machine. As for Haaland, I think he is the missing piece of the puzzle. For a few years they’ve been playing without a striker like him, and now he’s a perfect fit. He scores goal after goal, he breaks records – he’s incredible.
Oh, it felt amazing. It was unbelievable. I can’t ever forget it; it was so beautiful. Andrea Bocelli was singing and his voice was incredible. The atmosphere was incredible. I still watch it on TV at times and I feel emotional again. These things don’t happen every day – that’s why it stays in your memory for a long time. Even when I get home sometimes, I have to look at the mini trophy.
It was a long time after, when I was reading the newspaper, that I found out. And at the time I thought, “Jesus, I want to put my hand on it, I want to grab it, I want to touch it,” because it felt that precious. I didn’t know that year was going to be the year we won everything.
Never. If I said “Yes” I would be lying. Given where I came from and where I started, I never believed I was going to have such a trajectory. I’m blessed to be where I am now because no one could have predicted this journey. You have these things where you cannot explain how you feel, and having achieved them is incredible. I’m very, very happy.
For them to win the Champions League is going to be a new step forward because when you win this trophy you get more respect, more fans, more value. If you want to be an established club, in the sense that you have the respect of all the other top European clubs, you have to win this trophy. Man City, since I was there, have been looking for that. They have been dreaming about it. Achieving that is going to be the ultimate prize.
