Official: Yaya Touré becomes Slovan Bratislava head coach and will work with Tigran Barseghyan

Slovan Bratislava have officially announced the appointment of Yaya Touré as the club’s new head coach. The 43-year-old Ivorian specialist has signed a three-year contract with the Slovak club.

For Touré, this is an important new stage in his coaching career. During his playing days, he was one of the best midfielders of his generation, representing Barcelona and Manchester City. After retiring from football, he moved into coaching. He previously worked in Tottenham Hotspur’s academy and also served as Roberto Mancini’s assistant with the Saudi Arabia national team.

Now Yaya Touré will lead Slovakia’s most successful club — 32-time national champions Slovan Bratislava, where former Armenia national team captain Tigran Barseghyan plays.

Touré’s appointment also opens a new chapter for Barseghyan. In recent years, the Armenian midfielder was one of the key players in the team under Vladimír Weiss Sr. Under Weiss, Slovan won the Slovak league title for six consecutive seasons, while Barseghyan regularly started matches and played an important role in the Bratislava club’s attack.

However, the arrival of a new head coach could change the situation within the team. Tigran Barseghyan, like the other leaders of Slovan, will now have to prove his importance again in Yaya Touré’s system.

Club general director Ivan Kmotrík Jr. noted that the management was looking for a specialist familiar with football at the highest level and, at the same time, someone highly motivated to prove himself as a head coach.

According to Kmotrík, the negotiations with Touré made a strong impression on the club, and both sides quickly understood that they shared a similar vision for Slovan’s future.

A new era for the Bratislava club will begin in the coming days. Yaya Touré’s task will be to maintain Slovan’s dominance in the Slovak league and achieve success on the European stage.