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LONDON. — Yaya Toure has given an explosive interview to France Football, accusing Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola of racism and being jealous of the Ivorian. He also said he wants to “destroy the Pep myth”.

Touré launched a broadside at Guardiola, accusing him of “having problems with Africans wherever he goes”, claiming the Manchester City manager’s coaching reputation is “a myth” and that he did “everything to spoil” the Ivory Coast midfielder’s last season at the English Premiership club.

In an interview with France Football magazine, Touré — who left City in May after eight seasons at the club – attacked his former manager who was also his coach at Barcelona.

“He (Guardiola) insists he has no problems with black players, because he is too intelligent to be caught out,” Touré said in an interview with France Football published yesterday. “But when you realise that he has problems with Africans, wherever he goes, I ask myself questions. He will never admit it. But the day he will line up a team in which we find five Africans, not naturalised, I promise I will send him a cake.”

City and Guardiola have refused to comment but it is understood that the club are disappointed by the player’s remarks.

Touré, now aged 35, became increasingly marginalised as City claimed the Premier League title last season. It was not the first time he had found himself surplus to requirements under Guardiola, having left his Barcelona side in 2010 to move to the Premier League.

“Pep likes to dominate and wants to have obedient players who lick his hands,” said Touré. “I do not like this kind of relationship. I respect my coach but I am not his thing. Like all players I have bickered with my coaches. But at a certain point men who do not understand each other reconcile. This is not possible with Pep, who is very rigid. The other players will never admit it publicly but some have already told me that they ended up hating him. Because he manipulates and plays a lot with your head.”

Touré added: “I think I was dealing with someone who just wanted revenge on me. I do not know why but I have the impression that he was jealous of me, that he took me for a rival. There you have it. We always looked at each other weirdly.

‘’He was spinning around me without saying anything, watching me, gauging me but not talking to me. Yet he knows that I speak Catalan, Spanish and English. It should be enough to communicate. But apparently no … Every time we passed each other, he seemed embarrassed. As if I made him a little self-conscious. — The Guardian.