Yaya Touré takes charge of a Champions League match for the first time tonight. The former Manchester City and Barcelona midfielder, who won the competition as a player in 2009, guided Slovan Bratislava through three qualifying rounds last month to reach the league phase. His reward is the toughest possible opener: away to defending champions Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday 9 September, kicking off at 21:00 CET.

A Fast Start in Slovakia

Touré joined Slovan Bratislava as head coach in June. The move came just two months before the club's biggest European test in years. He wasted no time making an impact, leading the Slovak champions to four straight league wins before turning his attention to Europe.

Slovan's qualifying campaign started with a 2-0 win over Georgian side Saburtalo, followed by a 1-1 draw in the return leg. They then beat Sweden's Mjällby at home and away to reach the play-off round. There, they faced Slovenian club Celje for a place in the competition's main draw.

Sealing Qualification Against Celje

The tie went the distance. Slovan won the second leg 2-1 after extra time, securing a 3-2 aggregate victory. That result confirmed their place in the Champions League league phase.

Supporters greeted the achievement with a chorus of the "Yaya Touré" chant, the same one made famous during his trophy-laden years at Manchester City. Slovan learned their full fixture list at the league phase draw, held at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on 27 August.

A Decorated Playing Career

Touré retired in 2019 after nearly two decades as a top-flight midfielder. He won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2008-09, along with two La Liga titles, the Spanish Super Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. He later added three Premier League titles, an FA Cup and three League Cups during his time at Manchester City.

Individually, Touré won the African Footballer of the Year award four times between 2011 and 2014. He also lifted the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast in 2015, cementing his status as one of the continent's greatest-ever players.

Before taking the Slovan job, Touré built coaching experience as an assistant at several European clubs, including a spell with the Saudi Arabian national team under his former Manchester City manager. Few players have won the Champions League and gone on to manage in it; fewer still have arrived there by dragging a Slovak club through three qualifying rounds.