Kolo Toure spoke about the influence of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola as the Blues prepare to face Crystal Palace
Pep Guardiola
Kolo Toure believes that Manchester City have the best manager in the world as he opened up on working with Pep Guardiola. Toure was brought in to work with the first team at the Etihad after a year with the Under-18s in the academy.
The former City and Arsenal defender was thrilled to get the chance to work with Guardiola after wanting to play under him when he was still enjoying his playing career. While that did not come to be, he jumped at the chance to come and coach at City and then stepped up to join Guardiola’s staff when Carlos Vicens departed at the end of last season.
Whatever Toure was expecting from the partnership, Guardiola did not conform. The coach was left surprised by their first meeting when given his instructions for what was required, and is enjoying his current role.
“Working with Pep Guardiola is incredible. He allows me to be who I am. I was not expecting that but the first thing he told me when I came is just be you. This is incredible,” he said.
“When you work for certain managers they will tell you what they want you to do but Pep wants you to express yourself because he knows that every individual has a special skill. He doesn’t keep you in one frame. He allows you to express yourself, to be the best that you can for the team. That is top.”
Despite coming in when Guardiola is in his tenth year in English football, Toure has also been taken with how much energy the manager still has as City look to chase down Arsenal at the top of the league. Guardiola has a City contract until the end of the 2026/27 season and is still setting standards for his staff.
“The manager’s energy every day is incredible. For me, I’m so surprised with all the years that he’s done in the league and now the energy that he still has every day, the passion he brings to every meeting, training sessions,” he said.
“He’s enjoying himself every day and we are enjoying it. You can see in the games, it doesn’t matter what happens, we have a big spirit in the team, we have a lot of energy, we are fighting for every single ball. We try to play our football because we are a possession-based team but when it comes to fighting we can do that too and that shows the spirit of the team.”
