Pep Guardiola refutes Yaya Toure claims: It's a lie and he knows it

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Manchester, June 10: Pep Guardiola has rubbished claims from Yaya Toure suggesting he has had "problems with Africans", stating: "It's a lie and he knows it."

In an interview with France Football, Toure strongly criticised his former boss at Manchester City.

The veteran midfielder, who was handed a solitary Premier League start in the final season of a hugely successful eight-year stint at the Etihad Stadium, accused Guardiola of having "problems with Africans wherever he goes" and said he was treated as a rival.

City and Guardiola initially declined to comment on the quotes, but the latter has now made it clear he totally refutes Toure's comments.

"It's a lie and he knows it," Guardiola was quoted as saying by Marca in an interview with Catalan station TV3.

"We were together for two years and now this is when he says it. He never told me face to face."

Toure made his final appearance for City in a 3-1 win over Brighton and Hove Albion in May.

Guardiola also insists he will never return for a second stint as Barcelona head coach and has no interest in becoming Camp Nou president.

Guardiola masterminded a golden era with the Catalan club between 2008 and 2012, with three La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues and two Club World Cups among a host of honours collected across four seasons.

Similar success followed at Bayern Munich before the 47-year-old guided Manchester City to Premier League and EFL Cup glory this term.

"My time there as a coach is finished because I'm not the same as I was then, nor is the way they see me the same," Guardiola told TV3.

"I had the time of my life there. It was a fantastic age where I was taking on the world and we took it on, with some incredible players, a young president [Joan Laporta], Txiki [Begiristain, now City's director of football].

"It was a generation of brutal players and the best player in the world [Lionel Messi]. The stars aligned."

A job upstairs is not one Guardiola envisages for himself either, as he is keen to indulge another of his passions when he leaves top-level coaching.

"President? No, I am a coach and I am good at what I do, you can't be everything," he said.

"When I stop coaching, you will find me playing golf."

City smashed club and divisional records as they stormed to the Premier League title and racked up an unprecedented 100 points in 2017-18.

But Guardiola still feels his old employers - double winners once more in Spain under Ernesto Valverde - represent the gold standard.

"FC Barcelona have been the best team of the season, even though they didn't win the Champions League," he added.

Source: OPTA