The Ivorian is at odds with the club after voicing displeasure over allegedly being denied time with his brother Ibrahim before his death and its failure to celebrate his birthday
By Paul Clennam
Manchester City are to grant Yaya Toure a three-week break ahead of scheduled crisis talks over the midfielder’s future, Goal understands.
The 31-year-old’s relationship with his club plumbed new depths on Tuesday when the Ivory Coast star claimed that City denied him the opportunity to spend time with his brother Ibrahim, who passed away on June 19, prior to his death.
Relations between the player and the Premier League champions were already fraught after Toure accused the club of failing to properly acknowledge his birthday and City are understood to be mortified by the latest accusations.
In an interview with France Football, Toure said: “I confess that I am still very sad. I’m suffering because I feel I have done nothing useful for him the last few weeks.
“At the end of the season, I wanted to stay for four or five days with my brother before I flew to prepare for the World Cup with Ivory Coast, except City did not want to give me a few days.
“I went to celebrate the title championship in Abu Dhabi while my brother was in his sickbed. By fortune, Kolo was at his bedside. After that I blame myself for not insisting and for not leading them to respect me.
“However, club officials knew that I had been suffering for a few months seeing the health of my brother decline.
“This is the reason I had several injuries at the end of the season because my head had taken control of my body. These last four months have probably been the hardest in my life.”
Toure and the Ivory Coast crashed out of the World Cup on Tuesday after a last-minute penalty from Greece’s Giorgios Samaras condemned his side to group-stage elimination for the third World Cup tournament in a row.
City, who begin their pre-season campaign with a friendly against Dundee on July 13 before flying out to America for the International Champions Cup, will now grant Toure extended leave before holding talks over his future.