Yaya Touré: The Dressing Room Standards That Turned Man City Into Champions (E402)

0:02Yaya, welcome to High Performance. Thank you very much. Thank you, pleasure. We've seen you as a player. We've seen you winning trophies. We've seen the success on the pitch. We've seen you working as an assistant manager in various countries, in various clubs. Yeah. What's the next step for Yaya Touré? For Yaya, he's going to his management now. I've been, if you can say that, I've been blessed playing football in a high level with the top clubs, with top players as well. and now what I'm looking for is going to the management. I've been an assistant for a few years with different clubs and different coaches and I think now I'm looking to become a manager, a coach, if you can say that.

0:40So what have you learned from your time as assistant managers in various places that makes you realise that now you're ready to be the number one, not the number two? Something reminds me, when I was playing, at playing times, when I tried to reflect at some point, I was like always thinking about me, right? What I'm eating, how I'm sleeping, how I'm resting. But going to the management as an assistant, I remember one of the coaches I have at, and it was Carl in Belgium. He was saying to me, yeah, I just want you to be close to the players, see how they feel, how they prepare. Just support them mentally at some point.

1:17And I was like, coach, yeah, I'm coaching, right? Just in the field. and after the field, I'm not really good at it. He said, no, you have to. Because at some point, one day, if you are a coach, you have to control all these aspects. Because what is happening in the field is okay. You can deal with it. I think you can do it. But outside the field is really, really important because now those days, the players are really, really different than your time. And I was like, yeah. I started to just learn and work around it. And it was quite impressive. It was very, very impressive because what Eddie Carl did to me, it made me realise that being a staff member is good, but being a head coach is something else because you have a lot of things to deal with and it's incredible.

2:08So are you sure you really want that? Because Damien and I were talking before you came in. Yeah. Yaya, you've got freedom. You've earned your money. You've won your trophies. That's true. That's true. Why do you want to go back into the lion's den? Yeah, that's a really good question because, like I said before to my close people around me, I said to them, because actually my kids, I think one week ago, he saw me in my office. I was sat watching games and he was saying to me, Dad, why are you sad? I said, no. He said, oh, yeah, I understand. You've been working recently. Now you're not working yet.

2:48But he's like, you want to go back again? Well, I think that is quite okay because when you look at the Premier League sometime or the championship or the league around the world, you see sometimes the manager has been criticized very hardly. You know, the fans have been very harsh to them. And I was like, kids, I don't know. I need to, you know, I need to get to something. And for me, football has been all my life during so many years, right? And I just, I like that, you know, be involved, participate. it. Of course, when you do something that matter like football, for example, there's a lot of opinion up there, right?

3:26And you have to, if you embrace that, if you love that, you know what I mean? For me, you're blessed, you know, because in football, if you don't want to be criticized or if you don't want to get hit by a lot of opinions, you don't have to do that, right? But for me, I think my journey and my life, I think I need that, right? because football for me is everything. I mean, this show is all about honesty and openness and vulnerability, all the important traits of a football manager. Yeah. So with that honesty, like when you're not involved in football, when you don't have a job, is your son right that you're sad?

4:04I think he is right because he can see me as well sometime at home because sometimes we don't realize when we're in the game, by example, when you when you out of it or maybe you stop it or you retire for example like i am now it's coming difficult you know you feel like okay how i gonna feel my journey or my day today you just have to wake up just have a workout on maybe walk out in the gym and nothing right and for me personally sometimes you feel like i feel empty i need to do some stuff i need to be involved i need to i don't know i need to you know to feel myself because i've been doing those this job for so many years right i think for more than 50 60 years i've been on high level and now doing nothing is quite really really difficult did you realize this is how it would feel in retirement i never feel i never realized that and now i realize that a lot and that's like it's not a shock I was not to be honest I was not that surprised I knew it was going to come in at some point but not like that because in my mind two years or three years before I retire I was like okay you know when I finish football I just go maybe in Maldives or maybe in Highland just relax myself and you know try to enjoy it you know as much as can because it was too much right games after games and national team, traveling, all these things like that.

5:37It was very, very tough. But now I mean, I think, I feel like I'm not 50, I'm not 60. That's not for me, you know. I need to do something. I need to be involved again. So when people ask you, what do you do? How do you answer that question? Actually, for me, I find that difficult question. And interesting question as well, because as soon as I heard that kind of question, most of the time I'm like, yeah, I need to give an answer, but what kind of answer should I give? Because even when I was playing at the time, my pastime is most of the time I'm reading books, watching movies, because I'm a big fan of horror movies.

6:21Sometimes I say that to people. People are like, why are you watching horror movies? I say, no, because I need to, this kind of adrenaline, be scared. to be stable, right? And at times as well, I like to have a workout outside, you know, walk around in the park, just enjoying being free. But to be honest, it's quite difficult. It's quite difficult. We'll be right back after a quick word from our partners. Hi friends, Grace from the Working Hard podcast here. When you're stretching every dollar, Alilla goes a long way and Walmart Business is here to help. They make it easy to order what you need from tech and cleaning supplies to everyday essentials, all at low prices and with helpful tools like spend tracking and tax exempt purchasing for eligible organizations.

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8:13I think it's something that so few sports people are brave enough to talk about, which is exactly this, that when you're in it, you're overwhelmed and you're exhausted and you're frustrated and you want days off and you want holidays and you just want all of the madness to go away. But the minute you retire, football carries on. Life carries on. Sport carries on but not for you. And you can feel forgotten about. And I've spoken to sports people who say within days they feel like the football world has forgotten them. Does that ring true for you? Yeah, no, you're definitely right. I agree with you because even now I feel it, you know, because years ago I think nine months ago I was like involved with Saudi as an assistant coach.

8:55Even I was not playing, but I was on the staff. But it's still the same, right? Because for me, life without football is quite difficult. It's very, very difficult because all my minds, my brains, all myself have been put in the football. And even now, if you go, if you go, for example, my house or sit with me in the office, I have maybe four or five screens there. It's all football, right? And my kids sometimes ask me, why do you focus on Papa? I said, no, let me, I'm just focused on everything. But that's the reality, right? When you're in love with the games, you know, it's difficult to, you know, to move in from that.

9:37So take us into a Yaya Torre managed dressing room. Yeah. What would we see? What are the kind of behaviours that I'd indicate to an outsider that you've created a dressing room for a team that's going to win? Well, it depends, you know, is a focus, respect, dedication, and passion as well. You know why? Because nowadays, the motivation, motivate players are more difficult than the past. And that's my opinion. What do you mean by that? Yeah, I mean that, in my time, maybe some of the players I've been playing with and some have been coming close to me, around me. I can say we were quite easier.

10:24We understand a lot, the games, in terms of we don't need to be motivated much. For example, you know what you're going to... For example, we play United. We know what we're dealing with, right? And we know how we have to prepare. But now it's like, I'm not saying it's different, but I'm saying now those days, the players need more than motivation, right? You need to be up them, make sure they understand what you want from... what you want, and make sure as well they had it, because there's so many distractions around at the moment, with the social media, with all these things around. It's quite more demanding in terms of being staff or manager in that period than before, because before, if I remember myself, when I was a player, I don't need a lot from the coach to make me sure I'm focused.

11:19now it's very difficult right because you have social media you have fans you have people interact with players easily now those days and actually now we we have to have to be part of it because now we are all in social media right but and i saying like now when you come in as a coach you have to be more than more than passionate right because you you're gonna try to unpack all the players to follow your you know what i mean what how you feel how you see on the games and now you need more than passion for me. That's what I think. And what sort of football would a Yaya Toure football team play?

11:54People like good football, right? And of course, when you see now the Premier League and the Premier League 10 years ago, maybe 20 years ago, it was different. People are adapting, right? Because I think new coaches coming now with new philosophies because I remember when I was playing in Spain at that period, Premier League was very high. Intensive contact draws, fighting. and the best team winning because they have different players, right? Or maybe they have two or three players that make a difference. Well, now when I watch the games, it's more about teams, about positioning, moving as a group.

12:30And it's different. Maybe in the future, maybe the football in the future may be different, right? Maybe we'll go back with the game in the 90s or maybe 80s, right? Where he's fighting and fighting and all this. My game is going to be more like enjoying and make my players realize that football is something beautiful and for me when you put your feet in the pitch you just have to enjoy and make the fans enjoy And what would the characteristics of a Yaya Toure team look like? How would you want them to behave and show up? Well you know because me I like attacking football like the fans was calling me before in the past like I'm lazy going forward I'm top but defending I'm lazy Is that true?

13:14That's why the fans and that's why people try to, you know what I mean, identify me, right? But I think, of course, when I was young, because I always believed in that, like, football is about enjoying, right? You know, and people come and see you, they have to be happy to see you, right? They have to enjoy as well. Me and my team, the way they're going to look, it's going to look attractive going forward. As well, defensively, I have to be compact, really organized, because it's not that easy. I'm not going to try to get individual, sense that you should do that, you should do that. I would prefer them to express themselves in the best way.

13:53And will you pick yourself to play midfield? Well, that's sometimes, to be honest, and that's real. That's something I remember when I was in an academy in Tottenham, at some point when I was working with the young lads, some of them was like, when we train, maybe sometime in the training, players when I train with them, I do some pass or some movement. The player was, oh, coach, I can do that as well. I look at them and say, no, you're not me. And that's how sometimes now in the coaching environment, when you go into the coach, when you leave the pitch as a player, you go as a coach, you have to understand how to manage that.

14:30And that sometimes is quite, quite difficult. Because many great players have tried to make that transition to be a coach and fail. So what are you doing differently that's going to give you a different chance? that's why my venue to Tottenham and the academy to have a little bit of view on that because it's really important because psychologically as well the players have to understand you are not the player anymore you are the coach and you are the educator how you can make him progress and better you don't try to work on him and be like you because you are you, you are unique he is unique and you want to help him to be the best version he can be, right?

15:11And the best way to do it is not too much interact. Because sometimes I see coaches try to tell the players, do this, you should do that, or do like that until it's not perfect. The way it's perfect for you, it's not good enough for him, right? And he is as well. Because players, at some point, they think a lot. And they look like a bit... I don't want to say that. They look a bit stupid, but they are not. Obviously, any message you pass to any players, when you go to home, when you get at home, you're just thinking about it again and again. Because, of course, it's normal because you want to develop.

15:50You want to be as best as possible. This cannot happen in two days, right? It can take time, three months, four months. What you should do, you have to understand, it may not be as good as you, but at some point it's going to achieve. if you support and you carry on pushing going forward. I think that's the best way because to come back to your question is that I'm not trying to tell them I'm the best. I'm trying to tell them that they have to do the best they can. And at some point, they will achieve. Maybe take one month, two months, five months, one year, but they don't have to leave it. They just have to carry on doing it again.

16:30And a former Manchester City midfielder, Frank Lampard, is currently managing in the championship and doing a brilliant job at Coventry. Would you consider going to the championship or League One or League Two level to begin your career? Yeah, I think to beginning, any step is going to be important, right? At least it's yourself starting, putting yourself out there and trying, you know? Because I know people, sometimes I've been met, some people will ask me, okay, yeah, you want to manage Premier League, you want to manage League One. I said, no, I'm not seeing myself in that way, you know. I see myself in the development because now I need to learn, I need to develop, I need to try, you know.

17:17And of course, me, I'm so honest and people feel like, okay, you hard on yourself. I'm not smooth myself. If at some point I'm really bad, I cannot say, okay, thank you, bye-bye. I'll go to the village and I just go back to my longer holiday, But I need to try and try to do what I feel is right and make myself proud and make myself again involved in this game because I love it that so much. I think one of the most interesting things in the first 15 minutes of our conversation, though, is your humility. You know, I was hosting the games for BT Sport when you were dominating midfield at Manchester City, winning Premier League trophies, scoring incredible goals.

18:00like you were the king of the Premier League in the seasons that I was working. And I will be honest, I thought when you came in today, you might say, look, I've won everything there is to win, so I need a top manager's job, or I need to be at the biggest of the football clubs. But there's a real humility to what you're saying, that you are, like this is almost a new Yaya Toure. It's not Yaya Toure the player, it's Yaya Toure the manager. And in the same way that your career started in an academy, you understand that your management career needs to start lower and progress as well. Exactly, exactly.

18:31Because for me, it's the key as well, right? Because it's really, really important. Because in that process, you don't need to just jump on it, right? It's like, I think a few years ago was an opportunity of a job, I think, in Wigan. And I, you know, I stepped down, I let that go because it was so, in my opinion, it was a big mess, right? There was so many things to deal with it and I was not ready for that. In that period, I was not ready for that, dealing with this, you know with the business with some players and dealing with and dealing in the pitch and dealing out the pitch for me was not the time for that right i was focused on coaching only and now with all the experience i go from uh working around mancini about carl about around a great coach and the own way i think it make me believe now is the time for me to start my own journey as a head coach and see how the life is gonna give me maybe we can reflect then on some of the managers you've worked with and some of the big lessons that you took from your footballing career to work out the kind of manager that you're going to be.

19:35I'd love to rewind to the time at Barcelona and Frank Reichardt as your manager. Yeah, I love him. I love him because I think the only highlight I can have for this man was brilliant because he was my, I don't say my prime time as an age, you know, because I was 26, 27, going to 27 and when I arrived from Monaco I was playing like expensive football like box to box right I was number 10 and by that period I have a great manager in there in Monaco he was telling me you know what go everywhere you want run where you want and I love that right following the balls going contra-attack get involved in the passing or scoring goals I was happy with it I was loving and when I signed when Barcelona came I was like wow that's opportunity I cannot let that down, right?

20:27And okay, you know, I was young, you know, and I love trying because I'm a courierous person. And Barcelona for me was huge, right? Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto 'o, and I was hearing that Thierry is going to join as well. And I was like, why not? And when I arrived there, the first meeting I had with Raikard was, he set up the team, 4-3-3, and he said to play. and I was seeing Chavi moving around, Chavi moving everywhere, Iniesta moving everywhere and that period was Deco and Iniesta coming later and I see Deco moving everywhere and me I was like DP Mifilda and he was saying to me, yeah don't move, stay in there I said, in my mind I was like, why are you saying that to me?

21:12Those are moving everywhere, why me I have to say no way and I was following the balls because my mind said I was like you know I was hungry, I was young, I want to run everywhere, I want to show up, right? Because among all the superstars coming to Barcelona, only me was coming from Monaco. And no one knows who's Yaya, right? And I have to show up, right, to the fans, to the people, to the audience, everything. And like I was like, yeah, no, no, go there. And it was always, outside, it was in the dugout, and it was, when it was shouting only my name, yeah, stay. I said, no. And one day, it was carry on repeating that, right?

21:51I was doing that all the time. And one day he picked me in his office and he said to me, yeah, look, sit, finish the training. He make a video of me, 20 minutes. And that video sent me, oh, like I was blown up because I think it was the first time a coach took me that way and explained to me how the game should be playing. I never realized that because I have, okay, no big experience, but I was coming from, I went to Belgium, I went to Ukraine, I was in Monaco. I was in Greece before Monaco and I have quite experience of the games, right? And I understand a bit. But when he took me, he said, look, show me the video on me for 20 minutes.

22:29Did he talk or did he just let you watch the video? He let me watch because when he was telling me sometime in the beach, even in his office, when we were talking, I was arguing with him. I said, no, coach, I don't know. I feel like I'm not moving. You tell me I'm moving. Because actually I was like so energetic for me running going back was easy and he don't see that and he was like no yeah yeah you should do what I said I said no coach I understand but I want the beat to touch the ball he said but you cannot because your position is a key in the field because we attack with so many players we can leave this space I said no coach you're wrong I think you're wrong and he 20 minutes he put me in the videos and he said I said coach I should say something he said no watch the TV and I watched and he said and after that I told my face to him.

23:18I was like, coach, yeah. Since that day, I never talked again anymore to him. I was blown. I love the fact that the coach, like Frank Riker, didn't feel the need to speak. Yeah. And I think that's such a great lesson for any manager. You don't always have to talk. Exactly, exactly. And that's what it makes me change my mind and go into the management now. Because sometimes when I remember when I was in academy, when I was working as an assistant, And sometimes I try to explain to the players, like, you have to do that. You're going to be better in that way. Oh, this one is, you don't need to do that.

23:52You did too much. I was like, look at me, what are you trying to say? And I was thinking about it. And I said, yeah, just now. I understand now. Because now I'm in this position. I understand it was incredible. But what really fascinates me on that is what you said that preceded it. So you've played in Greece, you've played in Belgium, you've come from Monaco. And you turn up at one of the biggest clubs in the world. and your mindset is, I want them to see me. Where does that confidence come from? Because I imagine lots of players would think, I'll play cautiously, I'll play my way into it. And you're going, no, no, I want to take risks.

24:27Describe where that comes from. Well, I think me, I've always been a type of players who have passion, of course, but as well, I'm not afraid, right? I'm not afraid to make mistakes. I'm not afraid to do something wrong because it's normal. It's a human being, right? We all make mistakes, right? But at some point, when you're on the biggest stage, if you play with, I think, if you play and you have to lock yourself because you want to look good and look, no expense yourself, right? For me, it's a waste, right? Because, for example, imagine, even you tell me this question, imagine myself playing in a camp now or in a Bebna Behu, and try to hide.

25:14You know, that was my mentality. Because my mentality was someone who tried to show off, like, I'm not the best. I'm not Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. Or Iniesta, for example, or Xavi. But I'm Yaya Toure. I want to show off to the people that I'm capable. I can play football as well. And that was all about me. So when you would make a mistake on a big stage like that, tell us about how you would deal with it then. Or it's difficult? This is really, really difficult because I remember when I was playing Barcelona, I remember one time we played in 2009, we played the final against Manchester United.

25:52And we played Rome. Yeah, this one was one of my, the time I was like, before the game, the day before the game, I think I slept only two hours because I was thinking. because playing Rooney, playing Berbatov, playing Cristiano Ronaldo. Giggs was there and it was a big United. I think I remember only Fletcher didn't play that game because it was a red card, right? Suspended. But that game, I remember two days, oh no, one week before I think we have some player was suspended. It was Alves suspended, Abidal suspended as well and Marquez was injured. and we have to reshape. At that time, Guardiola had to reshape the defense.

26:41And we were thinking, who's going to play in defense?

26:46And the coach coming to me, he said, you can play in defense. I said, oh. Because me, I was like, you know, very open, excited when you tell me. Because it's not like a lot of problems. When things come in with no solution, I always find myself as a solution. But when I say that to him, is after two days later, I was like, jeez, maybe I think I make a mistake there. I cannot go back to it. I cannot tell him like, look, coach, maybe we can try someone else there. Maybe, I don't know. And I remember that time, Samuel Eto 'o was on me for four days. He said, yeah, you want to play defender? You know, in Barcelona, if you will lose the game and it's your mistake, your career can be ruining.

27:30That is the least helpful advice ever Exactly. From Samuel Eletta. Exactly. And that was something like, after that, I was like, yeah, what am I doing? How I can change? Maybe I may get sick. Or, you know, run from the game. But at some point, it was something, you know, I was so delighted when we win in the end because I feel that, the help, the support, because in that period, when all my teammates was looking, who's going to play in the back? Who's going to play central back? Piquet was there. Puyol have to play right back because Alves was suspended and we don't have any right back left. And then the left back Abidal was suspended, but Sivilian played that game and Sivilian can play that.

28:15And it was like, only me or Busquets or Seiluketa can play in there. But Seiluketa, when the question was asked, he said, me, I'm not involved. No, when you look at Busquets, he was like, I'm looking somewhere else. And it was always me like, yeah, but okay, what am I going to do? Okay, I play Kuchuba. It was incredible. and how long after the whistle blew at the start of the match did that fear disappear for you? Well, it's that they came one way after five minutes I think I remember because it's like it was yesterday because that was my brain because that's the game who marked me for a long period because it was beautiful first and it was the first final I played in the Champions League for me was all dreams, right?

28:59After five minutes I think Pique get the ball I think I was not I think we were keeping the ball we lose the ball in the middle and Ronaldo run that way and Rune other side and Pique was running and I think I slept a bit and Pique recovered from me and after that I get the ball and I said oh yeah don't worry I'm here I'm gonna support you after that moment I feel like yeah I think I have the support and Puyol after that came close to me said yeah relax don't worry it's okay it's a game don't worry we're gonna deal with it but anything if you go we cover you and after that i'll get on with it so those leaders in the team definitely stood up for you in that moment exactly that's why sometime sometime when i get the question from uh you've with experienced players that's how experienced players make the difference in youth right like those young you cannot deal sometimes you it's difficult for you to deal with this kind of matter you need someone with experience and you know with the you know what i mean this kind of control and self-confident coming close to you say oh don't worry we are there who of all the players that you played with at Barcelona is the one that you reflect on now and think they were just the greatest is it Lionel Messi I think most of them right Messi was Messi was younger than me but he was so quiet he's so quiet so quiet I don't saying like he don't care he loves football right and he loves Barcelona and he's the guys who, listen, give me the ball and make the difference.

30:33That's how you can see, that's how I see Messi, right? But, the one who I, a lot of time, most of the time I reflect on them or I see them, I like, yeah, I take a lot of his advice. Even now, even when I'm, when I stop playing, when I'm coming coaches now, Xavi was really an example. Puyol was an example. Samuel Oto as well, one of them, you know, because those guys, they were actually teammates, were all teammates, right? But actually those guys, they see so many things in the game. And they be all the time in this kind of stage, you know, in high level for so many years, then they understand that, what demands and what needs something to be done properly in the games, right?

31:21And for me, those people have been, if I can say that, maybe my movement, my time in Barcelona was really useful for me. After that, you can see when I come to Man City, what happened after. Because that was the impact I got when I went to Barcelona. Those players, how they impacted me positively. Make me carry on again when I come to Man City. That's why I tried to express the people. Of course, it was a huge player there as well, Patrick Vieira, my brother. but it helped me a lot. So beyond the tactics and the ability to recognise your position on the field that Rijkaard taught you, what were the characteristics that you took away from your time at Barcelona that we would have seen playing out later in your career?

32:11Well, I think for me, I always love, of course I love Spain football, right? Yeah. But I'm not any time. Because for me, football, of course you can have you can have the position right because me I love to have the ball I would love my team to have the ball but no at any no at the waist if you can say that I explain myself like sometimes you can find a team who pass the ball to pass the ball but you need to pass the ball for one purpose right to score goals right because on the end of the day you can have the ball for maybe 90 minutes right but at the end of the day the fans are going to ask what was the score?

32:55What was the goal? You know what I mean? Who scored? Who won it? Right? For me, that's the point. Keep the ball and to make something real, right? Try to, you know, try to annoy the opponent. Try to make them, try to hurt them, if you can say that, right? Make sure we get the ball to create chances and score goals. That's what I think. We'll be right back after a quick word from our partners. Are you a trailblazer? A risk taker? Maybe someone with countless tales of epic adventure? Well, I'm not quite there yet, but I'm working on it. Even the boldest among us started off small, right? Daring themselves to reach greater goals every day.

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35:16We're going to talk in detail about your time at Manchester City. Yeah. When you lit up the Premier League. Before we walk away from the Barcelona conversation, you said that Lionel Messi was quiet. Yeah. And he was younger than you. Yeah. Do you remember the moment that you realised actually how good he was as a footballer? At the final of the Champions League 2009, against United. why okay Samuel Lusko scored the first goal and he scored the last goal boy actually was between no not between yeah you know we are between Ferdinand and Wittich because Ferdinand Wittich wow what a two defender they was massive you know strong good and yeah and Missy scored a goal with the head also you know and it was Vandessa and the goal and it was incredible and what they did that game in 2009 against United was incredible because sometimes actually yeah United there was a United in that period like Cristiano Ronaldo Rooney they were incredible going forward defensively they were top team right and all the time when we get the ball to Xavi, Iniesta and Messi because at that period I was defender I was playing with Piquet and Puyol on the back we were like oh jeez guys we can breathe give the ball to those ones and I remember in the dressing room, the manager said, guys, when we get the ball, we don't try, the defender, when we get the ball, we have to give the ball to Iniesta or Chavi.

36:45Iniesta or Messi. They have to get the ball. And Messi, at some point, that's how, after people were talking about the first nine, because he was moving everywhere. Sometimes he leaves the space. And that's where, I think, Ferdinand and Rio were confused. Because they used to have a number nine. Like that, they feel like, yeah, they have to stand the position. because Messi was just just leaving his position they don't know how to do it that means sometimes we end up 4 or 5 v2 or 3 in the midfield against United and United they don't know how to handle because the defender Vidic and Ferdinand one of them was not following in the middle and that's why we make the difference and we just recondar straight away when we play after 10 minutes we recondar we said to Messi drop and he dropped by himself he filled the game by himself and he was perfect like he's famous for his scanning you know when you see Messi now where he spends the first 10 minutes of a game just walking and observing was he doing that even at a young age?

37:49I think that that's what I said to the youth all the time when I was in Tottenham for example I enjoyed my time there in the academy that's what I said because a coach or a staff When you look at the midfielder, present me midfielder was my position. I love this position. I play in there and I love creative players and great players, right? For me, good midfielder have to be able to scat maybe four or five times before I see the ball. Why? Because you give him time. You make him understand where the game is going to be or the game where the game should be next and the next step. And that's how I feel the midfielder is clever, smart.

38:31because imagine a player like, because you guys never, you met Xavi Oñesta, right? Personally. You see how small they are. Imagine this kind of player play close to Kompany, for example. Kompany is huge. And those players, when we play, for example, against English team, for example, I think United, for example, we play, Xavi Oñesta, they play against Carrick, Bosco, it was small boys, quite bigger for them because they were smaller than even Messi. But that's how good they are, how clever they are because, first of all, when you scan, you avoid contact first. Second, you understand what is going around you, even in your back, because most of the players now, they rely on the physique.

39:13The ball before coming, when he receives, he just puts his head up. But those players, Xavi, Iniesta, they are the king of that. Even Messi, you have to scan before receiving the ball. It's so important. But somehow, players, still players, don't get it. But anyway, it's the fango you have to walk in daily day on that. And can I ask you about, there was a motivational video that Guardiola played before that 2009 final. Yeah. Tell her. Well, I think that's, we don't see, I think that's, it brings up, this kind of video brings up all your emotion, right? Because in that sense of, when I see myself in that, for example, I will tell you the way I see it because on that period when I was in Barcelona when I see that I was like emotionally I was like hi when I say hi is that positive way right because I was like you speak with the guys analytic guys they take a video they take all the seconds of the season of each of the players or the teammates or the viewers as well and they make a nice graphic for 10 minutes for us it was beautiful it was something amazing because you see for example Xavi he's small he fights he gets scratched after he talks after you see Samuel O'Toole fight on there and Mia coming cover it he saw all these seconds of video he will show it in this moment and we were all in the dressing room sat in there watching there we were like and I remember in the end of that two of the players was like they were crying were you crying?

40:51me I'm not crying come on who was crying? some of the players were crying even Mia I was laughing but in the same way as well it was like all positive right we were like Jesus we need to fight for each other and when we fight for each other because the video was saying that what people don't see he sees oh the manager the staff even the guys from the analytics sees right and sometimes even me as well when your game the action is going I fight on there after that when the ball go there you have to follow sometimes you don't see your teammate there he's struggling, he's fighting, coming back or he's injured, and those things they put that hole in the light and that was for 10 minutes and we were like oh jeez, Xavi I love you Iniesta I love you, you know what that's and we go fight together and it was it's brilliant, it's a so good idea, yeah.

41:44So the film that Pep had put together for you the night before the Champions League final, it wasn't a film of your greatest goals and your greatest passes no, no, no. It was a video of you as brothers fighting for each other. Fighting for each other. And that was, I think for me, that was a fantastic idea. And at the end of the game, before going to the beach, after the videos, it didn't say nothing. And we knew what we have to do. Fight for each other and care for that. Because even in the mountain, we're saying that if we fight together, we can achieve. And that's brilliant. Sometimes emotionally it works.

42:18And that's chapeau, chapeau. It was really good. How painful was it when it became clear to you that you had to move on from Barcelona? Well, it was tough. Because, you know, Barcelona, it's not Barcelona. It was not the clubs I was thinking, like, playing one day and leave. Barcelona was from young. Because I think I remember one of my brothers have the video, you have the clips of me, when I was in Academy and I have a request, saying, like, if I grow, my dream would be to play to Barcelona. If I don't play for Barcelona, That's me that didn't play football. And that's on the record. I think my brother had that.

42:59Not Colobo, another one. Because I was very young. I think I was like 10, no, 12, 13, something like that. And I was seeing those kind of things already. Because in that period, when we were in Ivory Coast, it's like Canal Plus was like a big equivalent of Sky Sport here, or BT, for example. Every week we watched games. And me, I was a big fan of Barcelona, right? When I was saying Ronaldo. Ronaldo Nazario the one Brazilian one taking the ball dribbling everyone just conduct it was incredible and me I fell with that you know because the the way they were playing and that's what we were doing in academy when I was young trying to play football attractive games position score humiliate the opponent our opponent that's what when I saw Barcelona I was in my mind like wow when did you realise that you had to leave I think I realized when I start to get less time, game time, it was coming difficult.

44:03Because as an elite and as a player, when at some point you start to fail, you have less time on the pitch, it starts to be difficult. Especially when you are a young age. and me, myself, in that period, I just want to show to the world, for example, because I know when Barcelona play Real Madrid, it's the game everyone wants to see. And me, when my family, for example, back down in Africa, all my parents in the village, where they were, when they watched, they said, oh yeah, we see you because I know when we play Real Madrid, we see because like I was saying to most of, some of them, like, if you are playing, in Barcelona, I want you people to watch at me because I'm going to make the difference.

44:54And that's... When I started, my game time was reduced, I think considerably, to be honest. I felt very, very difficult. Did you ever go and see the manager and say, come on, play me? At some point, we did. I did. At some point, I did. But after that, it's a football game, right? Because the game sometimes is very, very, very difficult, right? And this industry all the time is challenging, right? I understand. And at some point, when you're a professional, you have to respect as well your teammate, right? If you don't get the sport, you have to know how to handle yourself, behave yourself as well, because at some point you can, it's going to, maybe it can be waste, right?

45:34If you go and they challenge a coach, you think you don't need to do it because he's the one who makes the decision and he's the one who makes the things happening, right? and has now become working as an assistant coach. Oh, coach, I understand that more, what they mean now. And when you first walked through the doors at Manchester City, you know, they've become a great club. But at that time, they didn't have the legacy that Barcelona had. They didn't have the trophies Barcelona had. How would you describe the culture when you first arrived at Man City? Wow, it was a big, big difference, to be honest.

46:09Because from Barcelona to City in that period, was like, ooh. It was like, as soon as I get in the training ground, because at that time we were training in Carrington, the training was different. And I remember I was like, when I arrived in the training center, I said, that's where? He said, no, that's the training center. I said, you sure? I said, well, that's where we're going to train. What was it like? It was smaller. It was very smaller. Normal, you know, normal training ground, right? and as well in the presentation as well I think Brian Mahoud in that period as well tell me yeah yeah oh yeah don't think about that it's no problem because we are now planning to build a new training facility and if we achieve if we don't achieve the investor is going to be like we need to start to achieve win trophies and after that the clubs and the investor are going to start like wait you know what let's build a new training facility and all was already planning I think Brian Mahoud showed me the map with the design.

47:10So, okay, okay. And I remember when other players was coming, it was me talking to them, for example, to Samina Sri, to some of the players when they asked me, yeah, this is the training ground. I said, yeah, no, no, but it's a new one coming if you win. New training ground if you win. And what about actual training? I'm interested how that was different. This one is beautiful. It's top. I just have the chance. I've been lucky enough to just use it before I left Man City. It was nice. It was very, very nice. I think we have the room in there. You can stay there. When you first joined Man City, how different was training to Barcelona?

47:50Ah, the training to Barcelona? No. Barcelona was a huge difference because Barcelona was Barcelona. And as well, Barcelona, I think, before I left, because Barcelona, I think, when I was there, was using the Camno dressing room because we were training close to the stadium because we have a small pitch or we train in the stadium of the Barcelona B or we train close because the Camp Nou we have before in the past we have a small pitch around that's where sometimes the first team was preparing. And not just the training ground but what you actually did in training how different was the actual training the training set up, yeah it was of course in Spain, Barcelona was always with the ball, right and there was like because Barcelona huge clubs you play every three days and you don't have much to do right it was all position it was all not a lot of tactics before games position small games and those players who are not playing regularly have to keep in fit right they have a normal session but the session is not more than 50-45 minutes even when I signed to Man City I was thinking still I was going to United it was incredible really?

49:06yeah because for me because at that period Barcelona and the United I'm not saying like they were saying but that was like you know what I mean where I should go normally but after that I have to learn more about Man City I have to get more about Man City and my brother was sort of key person who made this happen with Man City because at that time I was talking with him every time Kolo was calling me every day because he knew how dedicated I am. He knows how passionate I am. And that time, when I was, before coming, of course, my brother was like one of the key members. If I can say that, the one, the first to make those kind of, for me to have, my move to Barcelona, to City, happen.

49:52Mancini was the second, but Kolo did a lot. He did a lot. He was like, every day calling me. And he was, I know you can't do it, but I said like, Kolo, but of course, I want to go and join because at that time I was of course was United United was not that much but Chelsea was more Chelsea was like with Dribba at that time or period but I end up going to Man City because like he said because I'm not saying like when I was in Barcelona I get frustrated but is that Barcelona so many legends right and that kind of thing sounds well to me like oh BO1 clubs not disrespectful to Man City right They were winning trophies a long time ago.

50:35But now I think he's placed there. Could you have joined Man United? Did Man United want you? At that time, no. There was a bit of speculation. It was people talking about it. Like I said, it was right. Because people were talking about that. And the newspaper looked like real. And me, I was like, yeah, okay. I talked to my agent. I said, United want me? He said, no. I said, but they're talking about it. He said, oh, yeah, I'll leave it. He's Man City. And me, I was quite believable. because at that period, it was after the World Cup as well in South Africa. And because when I left the camp, when we get pulled out in the first stage, I needed to sort out my contract quick and move on for holiday and just change my mind.

51:18Because at that period, when I was in the World Cup, I decided to leave Barcelona. And we signed all the agreements in Barcelona. And I need to sign now the new one. And I was coming, I said, okay, I said to my agent in that period, I come into Manchester and I decide which one I go. And my brother said, no, Man City. And that's how I come in at San City. And what about the mentality though? Because Barcelona have been used to winning trophies. You've come from a Champions League winning team to a club that hasn't had that level of success. Yeah. What was the difference there and how did you see your role?

51:52I'll explain you one thing. I remember one time, that's a story. no, it's not a story, actually it's a truth I remember one time we went to play against Valencia and we were on the plane no fans with some journalists and some family member of the of the border on the plane, going back to Barcelona and we drew in Valencia and we were coming back and I think in the return the plane was quiet and I remember one of the players laughed on the plane and it was incredible. The guys who laugh and they're playing after the draw, when we get back to the training the following day, the media kill him and the players as well, even the staff, the coach kill him as well and said, you can't do that.

52:40And me, I was like, it's draw, it's not lost, right? It's okay in Valencia as the top clubs in Spain. But that's how you have to understand who Barcelona was because this club, that's why they said Mexican club is a lot right, it's a lot of things, everything around have to be, but this club actually, people don't understand or realise it, but this team is incredible you know, if you put them close to Madrid, because Madrid are a different way but they are, of their own, they are the same, in the term of the mentality, Barcelona is I can maybe say Madrid is, you have to win doesn't matter but Barcelona, you have to win with, they call it the Manera in Spain, but you have to win with the good games, right?

53:31With style. With style, yeah. The fans have to enjoy it. I remember one game we played in Barcelona, in Spain, we were playing, we win three, four, I think four-one, but we were not playing good. And the fans just were booing and they take the... The white. Yeah, the thing like they were not happy. And that's how it is. in other clubs fans will be like okay we take it we don't care 4-0 4-1 good but Manchester City then when you when you went in there what was the big difference of the mentality of the players yeah actually in the beginning when I arrived I think we played games and we lost the games we lost one game again and we were coming back from London and they trained and I was seeing some most of the players were laughing and they trained and I was like oh I'll straight remember and I spoke with my brother in that period said, why are they laughing?

54:22We're losing. He said, no, yeah, yeah, chill. I said, what chill? If you want to go another level, where United are? Because that was in my mind. That was my target personally. And I was thinking all my teammates were falling that way as well because, of course, Man City was starting to invest heavily in players. It's after when I arrived, even as well, I remember that period, Silva was confused. He said, why are we We lose and they laugh it because at that period when I arrived to Man City it was me, Silva, Balotelli. Tevez was already there. Dzeko Koum, Koularov Koum came as well. After that, it's not a following like in yesterday.

55:03Samina Segar, but that was later. But we were five players coming or six. We came. And only me and Silva because we know the mentality in Spain because at that period, Valencia was top team in Spain. It was top three, top four. right and yes Silva he knows as well and he came straight to his Silva comes to me because okay we usually speak Spanish because Silva was more Spanish and he was like yeah but why they love it we lose 3-0 and they love it I said well me too I called my brother I said what's going on he said yeah I don't choose in England it's okay we can lose I said no but we lose and they're happy and me I was pissed but that's how you have to you know what I mean because we after that we have to understand at some point but I didn't accept it because it's like I was coming to become what I don't want to be like fail I don't want to be failure right because I know a lot of people was of course look at me because the transfer the money was around people was talking no more about me okay come from Barcelona to City what are you going to do and that's what I have my no I'm not saying my shoulder but it was looking like that way and I was feeling a lot of responsibility, right?

56:21Bringing the team forward, try to help my teammates and try to share my experience I have in Barcelona with some of the players, make them going forward. So did you pull players individually and say, come on, this isn't good enough? Or did you address them as a group? Well, when I do, I was friends with some of them, you know, because actually I didn't take the position of the head coach on time because of Mancini. Mancini was really aggressive at some time. But Mancini, I love him. and what I do, some of them when I was close, I was like, okay, try to express because me, I was feeling a bit frustrated at some point, right?

56:55Because I have to be honest because losing games, okay, you can lose games, right? We can know you win suddenly all the games, right? But I feel like we were in the beginning of something and I was quite happy at some point with the mentality of some players. Parasam Tevez was there. You know Tevez how he is, how he was, you know? It's the guy like he wanted, is like we call him Apache. You know, like... Is that his nickname? Yeah, he was like running everywhere, fighting. Even in the dressing room when we played bad, he was like, guys, you play bad. You shit, you shit. But he was incredible. And that was like, feel like, okay, I have someone who has shared something with me, right?

57:35Same desire, same passion. And Silva was same. And after that, slowly we start to contaminate most of the players because a lot of players was like, okay, in Manchester, they're not there to be there but they were there but it was like okay we're okay things can come in no problem those ones got many difference but in the football games you need the team right you need everyone to have the same way same things same mentality and that's why I think we started after that we talked with the captain with company can we have some dinner with the group we start to know each other because I know sometimes it was quite difficult because some of the players was more Spanish way because they were talking more with them.

58:17We were different way. But me, I was between, right? Because I've been able to speak different, lucky. There was little cliques and groups. Yeah. And it was, sometimes it's tough, but after that, we have to join that back together. But it was not negative. It was instant. It's like you coming, for example, in France, you don't speak French, you go to the guy who speaks the language. But sometimes I saw that a bit different. That's why we started to make it more like a group involved with combining, getting some dinner together, spending time together with the family. I was always good. I love that phrase you use, about we started to contaminate the group.

58:51Yeah. Was there a specific moment when you knew that this mentality of having to win had started to infect the whole culture? Yeah, because I think for me, that was the key. That was key. Because me, I was like that as well, because I say the truth. When I was in Monaco, Monaco is not the team we used to win the league, for example. Yeah, right? And me, I was like, type of person who like to enjoy football. I love the part when we win more than losing, right? Because losing is not for me, right? Because in terms of when you go at the end of the season, you lose your bonus, you lose all the advantage you have when you're winning, right?

59:30And from Monaco, when I went to Barcelona, those players like Xavi, like Lillian Turam, Thierry Henry, Puyol, there was no place to laugh. When we'd win, okay, you can laugh. But when you lose, before you're laughing, you have to look around because you don't know who's going to go grab you over the back and say, hey, what are you doing? We're losing and you arrive, why are you laughing for? And I was like, you know, just, and that contaminates me as well. And after that, sometimes, sorry to my wife, I've been so negative with her sometimes because when I lose and I get home, when she's watching a movie or watching a comedy movie she laughs I said, what are you laughing for?

1:00:15She said, no, but yeah, yeah I watch my I said, oh, sorry It still even carries on me carrying follow me even in my house That's how I was and my three years in Barcelona was that right even friendly game even training we were not fighting but we were arguing for the tennis ball even in the tennis ball the ball touched like, no, no it's the torch even we put the referee out there even the ref is there he said the ball said no no no you get corrupt it was incredible and that when I went to Man City at some point this same attitude came and that's where this team started to was there a specific moment when you thought we've now got it we've now got that attitude at Manchester City I think when we win the effort the first game when we win I think I remember we played the semifinal again at United.

1:01:12And I don't know, maybe people, okay, that's the rest room, secret, right? We were battling. We were getting smashed by United in the first half. Chance after chance. Opportunity after opportunity. And we played, I want to say, rubbish. We were rubbish. Even two pass, we can't do it. Mancini was like, blow up. How are we going to do? We went to the dressing room. we end up fighting no we were fighting each other yeah we were fighting because we knew we were like scared were you involved? I was involved we were fighting we were like fighting bo bo bo shout bo bo bo and after that when we come to the second half we see a new man city and after that we win the game okay with the photo of Carrick thank you to him sorry I scored the goals but after the fight after this game United United, we get that.

1:02:07And that year as well, I think we finished third. We qualified for the champion as well because that was difficult in the past. But from that time, we started to end up the thing like that. All the players have the same mentality. And that's where I would say, ah, that's a good one. Because we fight in the dressing room, like throw stuff, grab them with a group, fighting, jump on us. Yes, it was incredible. So it was physical, like you were grabbing each other, pushing each other. Yeah, physical. No one knows that. what did Mancini do no he was brought up because sometimes as a staff member or as a head coach you standing by your side you see how bad it is but sometimes you want to slap or you want to say guys you understand what you're doing that's the one opportunity in a year right but we players we take responsibility and we get that because we can even pass two pass in a row it was so bad I think it's so interesting because certainly the media and I think often a lot of fans, they think if you've got a team that's fighting in the dressing room at half time, then the team is done.

1:03:11The culture is gone. It's toxic. You're going to win nothing. But the moment that you became a winning team was the day that you actually had a physical fight in the dressing room as a team. Yeah. Carlos Tevez jumped on one player out there. And who were you brave enough to take on? No, there was too many big guys out there because Lefkowitz was there, Fulphari was there, Viera was there. They were trying to stop people, right? Fighting each other. But that was the, I think that was the, I can say that they click, right? Like we say in French, they click. The things who... The catalyst. Yes, the catalyst.

1:03:48The things who open up everything. Because against United was incredible. Because that semifinal, United was, first half was all of them. If you remember, if you get the start back again, you will see United chance after chance. Miss the goal. I remember Babi Atov lose the goal in front of the goal. Joao was brilliant. He keep us in because with the save he had, he was incredible. And then you scored the winner, didn't you? And as well, me and I scored the winner. I was fighting there too. But it was good. But from that day, believe me guys, after that, when we've passed this year, we start to be mushing.

1:04:27We enjoy winning. We enjoy winning. And I start to have this feeling like when we lose game, we like we like not happy and i was like we're in a good way and then of course 2012 happens and you know what before we sat down for this conversation i obviously reflected on 2012 and thought yeah that's a significant moment for manchester city obviously yeah but the more we talk about you and the fact that when you left barcelona you were thinking that manchester united was where you wanted to go to the level yes the fact that it was manchester united who you beat to win the Premier League in 2012. I think for you personally, that was probably a really significant moment as well.

1:05:05Oh yeah, definitely. Definitely was the, I think one of the best, because if you're going back to my first media conference, when I was all, the first time I started to speak with the major journalists, everything like that, bonding, I was saying that we're coming to just shadow United. And that was my belief because I knew, I know if we have to be the best team in Manchester we have to shadow United and that was so difficult it was a dream actually and me I believe in my dream right because when I was young I believe and I dream I'm going to play one day for Barcelona and it's happening and when I come to Man City I dream and I believe one day Man City is going to be the best team in Manchester I believe and I dream and that happened again.

1:05:58And that's the thing because I remember when United was eight point ahead of us in 2012 and it was not impossible, but as a self, our self-competitor, we were a competitor, right? And that's the period where from 2011, that's why I said how the team progressed in terms of mentality, winning, because that was the decline in 2000 and the FA Cup we win. and after that, in 2011, we confirmed that mentality because we were, United was eight points ahead. I think it was nine games left or eight games left. I don't remember precisely. But it was that and we have, we carry on, we've been carrying on winning and United was drawing, drawing.

1:06:43I think they lost one or two games or drew one game and we were carrying on winning successively and it was incredible. And what they find this team as well is when we went to play against Newcastle and Newcastle. And Newcastle was the team in the form of the season with Papi Sissi and Dimbabwe. They were scoring goals from everywhere. You don't know, you can't catch them. Those two guys, it was like two Senegalese. Centre forward was so good. And we go and play in St. George's Park. I think, if you can say that, the title, right? If we win this game, we still have a chance to win the league. Because the last game was QPR and we knew if we beat Newcastle, we play QPR at home, it should be done easily.

1:07:36Because for us, the difficult games, the most difficult was Newcastle. And the way we go in there, the way we're playing and the way we behave during all the week going to the game, approaching to the game was fantastic. I remember that like yesterday. Like what sort of things did you see that week? no, the player was involved. Everyone was professional, you know, and we trained well, we trained hard. Because my personal opinion and my personal point of view, I see the team changing, developing and going to another level again. And that's what I was seeing because when you've been in the top clubs, you see some kind of habits.

1:08:18And when you go in other clubs and this club no use to do that and you see this kind of similar habit. You can predict at some point. Not predict, but you can say it will happen at some point. And what is your memory of that day in 2012, if you think of that final game against QPR? When, because I think I got hamstring in half-time. That must have been painful for you to have to come off at half-time in that game. It was incredible. It was incredible because I left, it was one low, and I was like, okay, we'll win it. Were you trying to play on? I tried but it was impossible because it was very very deep the injury because it was arm string and you know for a player it's very very difficult and I was in the dressing room watching the game and even the doctor was taking care of me when I would score everyone went out from the from the medical everyone was in the field I don't know it was incredible because even me I didn't know I didn't know how I would score even even everything was I'm not saying predict it was like Parazan Balotelli never pass the ball to a striker he pass the ball to Aguero and that one when Balotelli three ball he can shot because I know Balotelli all the time when he's like in a small square he shot like a crazy guy he pass the ball to Aguero and Aguero I think the defender was Taiwo in that period he stepped on his feet I said jump it's a penalty but he didn't jump he just stepped and he shoot because as well he shoot he was close to the keeper the keeper can even save it because if the keeper saves that moment he's finished United was waiting there in Sunderland in Newcastle and when the goal was coming even me I think I remember but I end up in the field I don't know how but I end up in the field it was crazy can you remember what Mancini was like that day no he was I remember Mancini and we were I was in the dressing room.

1:10:20I saw him like sweating, right? It was very bad. He was saying because, of course, we were losing. Because normally for him, we're supposed to beat Kupia easy. And we make two mistakes. And after that, we get Kupia in front. And Kupia, at some point as well, 20 minutes before the end of the game, they see they were not related anymore. Then they don't need to play anymore, right? They were playing passive. because at the beginning of the game, they were like more defensive. Because for them, the draw is good. Winning is good. But lose, no. But when they heard that the other one was losing, they were like, okay.

1:11:01But we were finding it difficult to score the goals and end up the last minute. It was... Now, if he will lose this league and that, I will maybe... Most of us will pass away for sure because it was impossible. It was impossible. What are you most proud of of the things you achieved at Manchester City? Wow, a lot of things. I think for me, the first trophy was the most important one. I can choose a lot of them, right? 2012 example, because that was the Premier League. That's what I come for, right? Win, because me, I was seeing myself as, I was feeling, I was describing myself as a winner, right?

1:11:44I know to achieve, you have to make a lot of sacrifice. That's correct. But you have to make sure as well you're in line with your teammate because that demands a lot of things. You have to be able to be open to your teammate. You have to be able to just go with them. Just share a lot of things with them. They know you as well because sometimes in football, people don't understand. We are people, normal, usual people who are outside the games or outside the team don't understand what is the life of the players when he's in the camp or he's in the training, right? With his teammate. What did he share?

1:12:21How did he talk? What did he do? All these things we've been doing. I've been doing a lot of work on me, right? Because I'm the type of person where I'm quite quiet, reserved, a lot of discipline, you know, and respectful as well. I'm not liking to be too much interact, right? But at some point in the games, because it's a group, it's the thing of groups, right? 25 people. And you have to share something with them. They have to know you. They have to, you know what I mean, feel you, right? To know you are, we can trust you, we can go, we can play together, and you're a good guy or you're nobody.

1:13:00You have to have this kind of interact. And for me, I've been doing that a lot. Most of my career, that's why most of the time, wherever I go, every country I've been, for me the most important thing was the culture. Try to integrate it in the language and the food, understand the things around. Try to get in there because people, most of the time, people thinking high athletes and top-level athletes, sometimes arrogance, I don't understand what is going on. That's not, it's false, it's not true. Because those guys are the ones who take a lot, right? Understand all is going around them and try to make them, try to combine, right?

1:13:48Even they have egos, they have a lot of different way or perception of life. At some point, when you come into the group, you have to have an elite mentality, right? Example, right? Make sure everyone follows. A little bit like a manager, for example, right? But most of the players now, especially the best players or the leader in the group all of them have that kind of mindset you helped to change the mindset of Man City yeah yeah there's no doubt about that yeah would you like one day to manage Manchester City? oh well I don't know to be honest because that it would be a dream at some point right because Man City like I said long ago even I left as a player at some point coming back at Man City work in any capacity and one day will be a dream because Man City have been the clubs where I achieve the most where I get the most recognition if I can say that or where I get the most individual trophies because of course I was in Barcelona I was Monaco full respect right but Man City I've been African Ballon d 'Or for times in a row I've been winning Premier League I've been winning almost everything, right?

1:15:08Only Champions League didn't be able to do it. But they did it and people know my proximity with Man City. Still carry on following them again. It sounds like a yes. If it happened, if you are that level, because now Man City is that level. And I think elite coach coming there again is going to be top because me, I'm always going to be a big fan of City for sure. And look, there is talk about whether the current manager carries on after this summer. Is it too soon for you to go in there now? No way, I can't go there. Maybe go as a staff member or as an assistant coach? Yes. But because I think now it's too soon, it's too soon because Man City now are at that level, right?

1:15:53You've got a record of dreaming and making your dreams come true. So what we're saying is managing Man City, like Barcelona was a dream, like becoming the best team in Manchester was a dream managing Manchester City one day remains a dream for you it's a dream and at some point I just follow my dream and I respect my dream and me I'm the man who loves challenging himself because for me it's not that when you do something you're passionate about you just have to have a dream about it some objective, right? Some target in front of you. Because for me, without that, why are you doing that, right?

1:16:40Why are you doing this job or why you want to do it? Because for me, it's always been that. For example, if you want to be a chef, if you love food, at some point I want to be a chef and I have to walk through it, right? On my way. Because I know people will thinking, right? I have the knowledge because I've been there. I've been playing for the clubs. that doesn't give me the knowledge to be at there right at the moment i think i need to go or to respect the process and to go as at some point where people feel like yeah deserve this position and that's be perfect and you would also i think love to manage ivory coast one day at some point at some point yes at some point love it well look it's been an absolute pleasure to sit down and talk to you and me too i was struck when you came in and i said how's life and you went, boring.

1:17:31Yeah. You know, it's so clear that your passion for football burns as bright as ever. Yeah. It's so clear that you feel ready to go again. And, you know, so many athletes have walked the same path before you. Yeah. That the world they're in is so exciting, so demanding, the levels are so high that when that world leaves you behind, it can be painful, it can be difficult. Yeah. But I think from the conversation we just had, I'm very excited for your future. What do you think? Very much, I think. I love great players that are respecting the process to become a great coach and I'm excited to see what follows he says that as a Man United fan yeah thank you guys thank you very much it's been a pleasure

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