Yaya Touré has become the first African head coach to guide a club into the main round of the UEFA Champions League. In his managerial debut, the Ivorian legend secured Slovan Bratislava’s qualification into the competition’s league phase.

The 43-year-old took charge of the club in June 2026 on a three-year contract for his first senior head-coaching position. Under his guidance, Slovan navigated an impressive unbeaten qualifying campaign, overcoming FC Iberia (3-1 aggregate) and Mjällby AIF (4-1 aggregate) before facing NK Celje in the play-offs. Following a 1-1 first-leg draw, Slovan secured a thrilling 2-1 extra-time win in the second leg, sealed by Cristian Martínez’s 100th-minute winner, to win 3-2 on aggregate.

On the pitch, Touré built an iconic career as one of the elite midfielders of his generation. He won the UEFA Champions League title with Barcelona in 2009 alongside two La Liga crowns, before moving to Manchester City where he lifted three Premier League titles. Internationally, he earned four consecutive African Footballer of the Year awards and captained Côte d’Ivoire to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations title.

Before taking the main job at Slovan, Touré carefully built his coaching credentials through various developmental roles across Europe and Asia. Following his retirement in 2020, he served as an assistant coach at Olimpik Donetsk, Akhmat Grozny, and Standard Liège, coached Tottenham Hotspur’s U-16 academy squad, and served on Roberto Mancini’s coaching staff with the Saudi Arabia national team.

Slovan Bratislava discovered their league-phase path when the UEFA Champions League draw took place in Monaco on Thursday, August 27, 2026. Touré’s side were handed an exciting slate of fixtures, featuring home ties against Inter Milan, Real Betis, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Stuttgart, alongside marquee away trips to Paris Saint-Germain and AS Roma.