Yaya Touré made his name as one of the best midfielders of his generation, starring for several clubs in Europe including Barcelona and Manchester City.
But on Wednesday, Sept. 9, the 43-year-old will make a different kind of history.
Touré will lead Slovakian side Slovan Bratislava against Paris Saint-Germain, becoming the first African head coach in the group phase of the UEFA Champions League.
The Ivorian has only just started his first head coaching role, taking over Slovan Bratislava in June. He has previously served as an assistant with clubs in Ukraine, Russia and Belgium, as well as with the Saudi Arabia national team.
In his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Sept. 8, Touré spoke about the historic nature of Wednesday's game in Paris.
“It may seem a little strange, but for me personally, it is really great. It is a new and important era, and we can say that things are changing and moving forward," Touré said.
He added: “There are people who have the courage to give young coaches a chance, coaches who have the enthusiasm and desire to work and push things forward in a positive way.”
Touré made sure to note his club's sporting director Robert Vittek, who gave him the opportunity after former coach Vladimír Weiss departed to take over the Slovakian national team in May.
“I thank the club’s management, including Robert Vittek, because it is not easy. It is very difficult for us, and we have to work two or three times harder to get these kinds of opportunities,” Touré said.
Touré could not have been handed a more difficult challenge in his Champions League coaching debut, with the two-time defending champions awaiting at their home ground.
"We're playing against one of the best teams in Europe, with [Ousmane] Dembélé, [Désiré] Doué and the others, but I don't want them to be afraid," Touré said.
"They may be passed once, twice or three times, but they have to hang in there. After the match, I'll ask them what they learned and what they did well."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Man City legend Yaya Toure makes Champions League coaching history
