Man City Midfielder Yaya Toure Issues Statement

Yaya Toure announces international retirement on a dramatic day for the Manchester City midfielder .

Yaya Toure has announced his retirement from international football on the day that Pep Guardiola cast fresh doubt over his Manchester City future.

Toure has only played once for City this season – and hasn’t been included in any of Guardiola’s Premier League squads.

And he is set to miss Wednesday’s EFL Cup tie with Swansea, with City’s manager revealing the Ivorian international will be exiled until he apologises for comments made by his controversial agent.

Dmitry Seluk claimed Toure had been humiliated by Guardiola’s decision to omit him from City’s Champions League squad.

While the 33-year-old midfielder’s club future looks in serious doubt, he has drawn a line under his international career – describing the decision as ‘the most difficult match of my life.’

In a statement he said: “Thank you to the Elephants!

“Writing this note was probably ‘the most difficult match of my life.’ After 14 years at the highest level, I’m sure this is the right time for me!

“The fact that I am 33 now, the intensity of training and the multitude of games are not the reasons why I am making this decision. Football is everything to me and it gave me so much in my career that I no longer feel able to set myself new goals as a player with the Elephants of Ivory Coast.

“This decision I have made has come gradually, it has slowly matured in my head. I definitely thought it necessary to wait until the qualifying stages for the next AFCON were over. It was also important for me that I do not disturb the dynamics of the national team.

Man City Midfielder Yaya Toure Issues Statement

Guardiola Axes Yaya Toure From Champions League Squad

Yaya Toure’s days at Manchester City look to be numbered after he failed to make the squad for the club’s Champions League qualifier against Steaua Bucharest on Tuesday.

The Ivorian is not carrying an injury and didn’t feature in the first league game of the season against Sunderland over the weekend.

Manager Pep Guardiola has never been convinced by the 33-year-old and was the man who sold him to City from Barcelona back in 2010 for £24 million.

Since then, Toure has been a mainstay in the City midfield and played a huge rolling in the club’s two Premier League titles in 2012 and 2014.

He also scored the winner against Stoke City in the 2011 FA Cup Final as the club ended its 35-year trophy drought.

There had been talk of Toure attracting interest from big spending Chinese clubs over the summer but nothing concrete materialised and the player was used by Guardiola in City’s preseason outings.

Leroy Sane is still nursing a hamstring injury so has also remained in Manchester, while Belgian defender Jason Denayer could be another on the way out after he was also omitted.

City take on Steaua in Bucharest tomorrow night, with the return leg at the Etihad Stadium taking place next week.

Guardiola Axes Yaya Toure From Champions League Squad

Arsenal Make £63 Bid For Real Madrid Star

Arsenal are reportedly interested in a move for Real Madrid star James Rodriquez.

Rodriguez joined Madrid from Monaco in 2014 for £63million after a string of impressive performances at the 2014 World Cup.

The Colombian impressed during his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu, scoring 17 goals.

However he has struggled this term, and has fallen out of favour under new boss Zidedine Zidane.

And according to Spanish outlet El Confidencial, Real president Florentino Perez will meet with James’ agent Jorge Mendes to confirm the 24-year-old has no future in Madrid.

However he has struggled this term, and has fallen out of favour under new boss Zidedine Zidane.

And according to Spanish outlet El Confidencial, Real president Florentino Perez will meet with James’ agent Jorge Mendes to confirm the 24-year-old has no future in Madrid.

Arsenal Make £63 Bid For Real Madrid Star

Nigeria Staring Ban From FIFA

World football governing body has warned Nigeria from enforcing the judgement of a high court which nullified the election that brought Amaju Pinnick and his board into the Nigeria Football Federation.

 

The tough times for Nigerian football continued this week, as the entire federation (NFF) faces a possible suspension after being sanctioned by FIFA.

Having failed to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations a few weeks ago, FIFA has now sent a warning to the federation after a Nigerian court ruled that former NFF president Amaju Pinnick be replaced by Chris Giwa.

Under FIFA rules and regulations, the national government is not allowed to interfere with the federation’s decisions.

Below is extract from FIFA letter

The decision of the Federal High Court in Jos, if implemented, would likely be considered as interference in the internal affairs of the NFF and the case would be brought to the highest authorities of Fifa for consideration of sanctions, including the suspension of the NFF.

 

All members associations have to manage their affairs independently and with no influence from third parties. In addition and according to article 68 of the Fifa Statutes, recourse to ordinary courts of law is prohibited unless specifically provided for in the Fifa regulations.

 

Furthermore, it is the duty of each member association to ensure that these provisions are implemented by its members and possibly take sanctions against those which fail to respect these obligations.

Nigeria Staring Ban From FIFA