“I’ve had a lot of setbacks” – Kolo Toure opens up on Manchester City and coaching future | OneFootball

Kolo Toure – promoted into the Manchester City first-team coaching set-up over the summer – has opened up on his future within the role.

Since stepping into a more prominent position within Pep Guardiola’s backroom team, Toure has become an increasingly visible figure around matchday operations. His presence has grown further in recent weeks, particularly as he continues to support Guardiola and Pep Lijnders in handling a demanding fixture schedule.

City approach their Premier League meeting with Crystal Palace in strong form following a dominant 3-0 win over Sunderland and an impressive midweek triumph at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid.

Within an increasingly high-performance environment, Kolo Toure’s influence has quietly but steadily increased, with players said to value his energy and meticulous approach. His recent media responsibilities as he stepped in for Guardiola during Friday’s press conference underlines the trust placed in him and signal his further development as a coach.

Speaking to the media in place of Guardiola on Friday afternoon, Kolo Toure was first questioned on his experience so far in working directly alongside the Catalan tactician at the Etihad Stadium this season.

“Every morning I wake up and think I’m very grateful, very lucky to work with these two [Pep Guardiola & Pep Lijnders] fantastic persons. They’re fantastic coaches, but they’re great, great people,” Toure said.

He continued, “Working for Pep Guardiola was a dream because during my career I was always thinking, ‘There’s one manager I haven’t worked under who is Pep Guardiola’, and I was thinking how can I find a way to work with him?

“And then that opportunity came to work with the first-team, and I think it was a blessing for me. Every day for me is fantastic; he loves his players, his staff, passion for the game is high, he’s intense. We love him! He’s fantastic!

“Pep Lijnders, we all know about his energy, knowledge of the game. Honestly I’m very lucky to be able to work with those two fantastic people.”

Looking back on his previous experiences in management, including the short stint as head coach of Wigan Athletic, the former Manchester City defender insisted that while he does not know what the future holds, he is determined to add value at the Etihad.

“My experience at Wigan was the best thing to happen to me. During my life I’ve had a lot of setbacks; before Arsenal I had four or five trials, and those trials didn’t work. And that never stopped me. When I have setbacks, my feeling is to go again. That’s natural for me,” he said.

Toure explained, “The job I’m doing right now is fantastic because I’m working with two fantastic people, one of the best clubs in the world as a coach, and I’m taking all this experience right now.

“I don’t know what will happen in future, but as you know, when you’ve been a manager once, you always want to go back! For me, the process is fantastic and I’m learning every day, try to share my knowledge, experience, bring something to the team – I’m not here only to learn. I’m here to bring something as well.”

Looking ahead, Kolo Toure’s role at City could expand further and his involvement in press duties suggests Guardiola sees leadership potential in the Ivorian, while the club’s focus on developing elite coaches internally could position him for future responsibilities.

There is also the possibility that Toure eventually takes charge of a team himself again, following a path previously taken by several former City staff members. For now, however, Toure seems fully committed to contributing to City’s immediate ambitions.