Former Ivory Coast star Yaya Toure has made history as the first African coach to guide a team into the Champions League group stage, achieving the feat with Slovakia's Slovan Bratislava.
The Slovakian side secured their place in Europe's elite club competition on Wednesday after overcoming NK Celje 3-2 on aggregate over two legs, with the return match played on Slovenian soil.
Toure joined Slovan Bratislava as head coach in June and quickly made an impact, helping the Slovak champions to four domestic victories while also securing a spot in the world's biggest club tournament.
Slovan Bratislava began their Champions League qualifying campaign in July with a 2-0 win over Georgia's Saburtalo before drawing 1-1 in the second leg. They then beat Sweden's Mjallby in both legs of the second qualifying round to reach the play-off stage, where they edged past the Slovenian representatives over two matches to book their group-stage place.
Toure, regarded as one of the greatest African footballers of all time, was serenaded by fans with the "Yaya Toure" chant that became iconic during his time as a Manchester City cornerstone in the 2010s.
Now 43, Toure retired in 2019 after an 18-year career across Europe's top leagues, amassing numerous honors as a midfielder. Before joining City in 2010, he played for Barcelona, where he won the Champions League (2008-09), two La Liga titles (2008-09, 2009-10), the Spanish Super Cup (2008-09), the UEFA Super Cup (2009-10), and the FIFA Club World Cup (2010). At City, he collected three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, and three League Cups.
Toure is Africa's most decorated player, winning the African Player of the Year award four times between 2011 and 2014. He also lifted the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast in 2015.
Before taking charge of Slovan Bratislava, Toure served as an assistant coach at several European clubs, from England's Leyton Orient to Belgian sides, before becoming an assistant for the Saudi Arabia national team in 2023 under his former Manchester City boss.
Toure and Slovan Bratislava's Champions League fate will be determined late Thursday when the group-stage draw takes place in Madrid.
