Four-time African Footballer of the Year, Yaya Toure has resigned his position as Standard Liege to become the assistant coach of Saudi Arabia national team.
Toure is the latest football icon to consider a career in the Middle East as Saudi Arabia continue its football development and revolution ahead of the hosting of the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
Standard Liege confirmed the departure of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations of Friday with a goodwill message.
The statement read: “Our assistant coach has decided to join the staff of the Saudi Arabian national team where he will find as head coach Roberto Mancini who had been his coach between 2010 and 2013 at Manchester City.
“Standard de Liege thanks Yaya for his contribution over the last few months and wishes him the best for the rest of his professional career.”
The former Ivory Coast midfielder will now work with his former Manchester City coach, Roberto Mancini who has been in charge of the Green Falcons since August.
The 40-year-old retired from football in 2020 and he started his coaching adventure with a stint at Ukrainian club Olimpik Donetsk as assistant manager in February 2021. He also worked briefly in an assistant capacity at Russia’s Akhmat Grozny before taking the role of coach of Tottenham Hotspur’s U16 team.
Toure is yet to have a taste of the head coach job but he is set for his first international assignment in the dug-out with Saudi Arabia.
