Yaya Touré makes history by qualifying Slovan Bratislava for the Champions League

Yaya Touré made history Wednesday evening by qualifying Slovan Bratislava for the Champions League league phase, becoming the first African manager to reach this milestone in the competition. The Slovak champions eliminated Slovenian side NK Celje after extra time (1-2, 2-3 aggregate) in the Champions League playoffs.

Five years after his career change, the former midfielder at Manchester City, FC Barcelona and AS Monaco is making his managerial debut. Appointed head coach of Slovan Bratislava this summer — a first in his career — the Ivorian immediately made an impact by propelling his club into Europe’s most prestigious competition. Slovan thus returns to the Champions League for the first time since the 2024-2025 season.

Touré’s figures since taking charge are striking: in ten matches across all competitions, he has recorded eight wins and two draws, without a single defeat. This perfect run illustrates how quickly the former Ivory Coast captain has imposed his ideas on his squad.

With this historic qualification, Yaya Touré immediately establishes himself as one of the rising figures in managerial football. His presence on the bench during the Champions League league phase will constitute an unprecedented milestone for African football, and will place Slovan Bratislava in the spotlight of a competition it had not frequented in some time.