Beaten 4-0 by Roma at the Olimpico, Yaya Touré’s Slovan Bratislava remain bottom of the league phase with zero points. The Ivorian coach condemns his group’s lack of unity and concentration.
Three matches, three defeats, one goal scored and thirteen conceded. Yaya Touré’s Slovan Bratislava suffered a third straight league-phase defeat in the Champions League on Tuesday night, thrashed 4-0 by Roma at the Stadio Olimpico, according to Afrik-Foot. The Slovaks failed to register a single shot on target in 90 minutes against Gian Piero Gasperini’s side.
At the final whistle, Yaya Touré offered no excuses. He singled out his team’s collective behaviour.
“We are not united”
“We were passive. At this level, that kind of mistake costs you dearly. We are not united. We don’t stay focused for 90 minutes. We have to fight and help each other more,” said Yaya Touré, quoted by Afrik-Foot. The verdict is blunt and targets above all his group’s general attitude.
Asked by Foot Africa, the coach went further in expressing his helplessness: “I can’t grab them, shake them, hit them or kick them.” A way of throwing responsibility back on his players, at a level where every mistake is punished immediately.
The punishment duly arrived on the pitch. For Roma’s third goal, in the 52nd minute, striker and captain Tigran Barseghyan dawdled inside his own box before gifting the ball to Niccolò Pisilli, Goal.com reports. Three minutes later, Yaya Touré substituted him, according to Afrik-Foot.
A worsening European record
The scoreline at the Olimpico is part of a grim run. Before Roma, Slovan had already lost 6-1 at the Parc des Princes to PSG, then 3-0 to Stuttgart, Afrik-Foot recalls. Against the Romans, the goals came from Mario Hermoso (21st), Nahuel Molina (39th), Niccolò Pisilli (52nd) and Donyell Malen from the penalty spot (57th), according to Goal.com.
In the overall Champions League table, Slovan sit last with zero points and a goal difference of -12, according to DAZN News FR. Only once in three matches have they found the net.
The contrast is all the more striking given that Yaya Touré remains, according to Afrik-Foot, the first coach of African origin to qualify and manage a club in the main draw of the European Champions League.
Slavia Prague up next
The next fixture is already set: Slavia Prague at the Tehelné pole on 4 November 2026, on matchday four of the league phase.
For that meeting, Slovan will have to answer their coach’s demand: fight and help each other more, as he said after the match at the Olimpico.