Slovakia: Yaya Touré makes a winning start on the Slovan Bratislava bench

Yaya Touré wasted no time making his mark in his first stint as a head coach. At the helm of Slovan Bratislava, the former Ivorian midfielder has racked up five wins and one draw in six matches, without a single defeat. An almost flawless start that leaves the Slovakian club just one round away from the Champions League group stage.

Taking charge of Slovan Bratislava for his first real experience as a head coach, Yaya Touré quickly instilled a winning mentality. His side has navigated the hurdles of European qualification and just punched their ticket for the Champions League play-offs.

The most recent step, against Mjällby, only confirmed this positive momentum. After a 2-1 away win in Sweden in the first leg, Slovan sealed a 2-0 victory at home, with another goal from Gambian striker Suleiman Camara. A two-legged tie expertly managed, allowing the Slovaks to continue their European journey.

Celje, the last hurdle before the Champions League

Slovan Bratislava now faces one final test: Celje. Winning over the two legs would see Yaya Touré lead his team into the Champions League group stage.

The stakes are therefore huge for the Ivorian tactician, who could already pull off a sensational achievement in his very first months in charge of a first team.

A coaching career takes shape

This success is also a testament to the gradual transition of the former Ivory Coast captain. After an illustrious playing career, highlighted by his years at Manchester City and several major titles in England, Touré has steadily moved into coaching.

He gained experience in various technical staffs before taking a significant step forward at Slovan Bratislava by taking over as head coach.

His current record is particularly encouraging: 6 matches, 5 wins, 1 draw, and not a single loss. Most importantly, Touré is now just two games away from delivering Champions League football to Slovan.

For the former midfielder, the challenge now is to confirm this excellent start against Celje and turn a promising debut into a genuine breakthrough as a professional manager.

Nouya M'toama

Editorfr, en

Versatile journalist specializing in sports and political news, with extensive experience across radio, print and digital media platforms.

Related teams and leagues

Slovan Bratislava