Beaten 4-0 at AS Roma, Slovan Bratislava saw their coach Yaya Touré call out the individual errors from his defenders. The former Ivory Coast midfielder is asking Slovak observers for patience.
Matchday three of the league phase has left its mark on Slovan Bratislava. On the pitch at AS Roma, the Slovak side suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat, adding to a difficult start to their European campaign, according to Afrik-Foot. A setback that weighs on Yaya Touré, the club’s head coach.
At 43, the iconic former Ivory Coast midfielder is in his very first job as a number one coach. At the end of August, he became the first African coach to manage a team in the league phase of the modern Champions League, Afrik-Foot recalls. He is thus getting his first taste of the very highest level in Europe.
Individual errors, again and again
In a press conference, Yaya Touré highlighted the glaring individual errors repeatedly made by his defenders. He explained that he could not correct his players by physical force: “I can’t hit them,” he said.
The observation is nothing new: Slovan have conceded plenty of avoidable goals since the start of their European campaign. The team had already shipped a painful defeat against PSG on the previous matchdays, before the 4-0 suffered in Rome.
Touré also described the gap in level between his side and Europe’s top teams as enormous. His stated aim remains to preserve the cohesion of the dressing room despite this run of humiliations.
A call for time and patience
Facing Slovak observers, the coach publicly called for patience. His line, reported by Afrik-Foot, sums up his position: “Give me time and you will see.”
The former Manchester City player had already tasted defeat against PSG before the loss in Rome. His beginnings as a number one are therefore being played out against the demands of the competition and Europe’s strongest teams.
LASK the chance to bounce back
The calendar offers Slovan no respite. On 3 November 2026, Yaya Touré and his players travel to LASK for matchday four, their next European fixture.