Yaya Toure has revealed that he sent a letter to Manchester City last year offering an unreserved apology for his actions that caused mixed reactions amongst football fans across the globe.
Toure is however unsure if the said letter ever reached his former boss Pep Guardiola.
In June 2018, the Ivorian star labelled his former manager Guardiola as a racist in an interview with France Football. In the interview, he said that Pep never liked Africans and was jealous of him.
However, Toure reveals sending a letter to the club last year, offering an unreserved apology for his actions. It has so far gone unanswered and he is unsure whether the apology ever reached Guardiola.
“That interview was my big, huge mistake,'” Toure rues. '”When you give your trust, your voice to someone, they can twist it.
“I was aware some staff were not happy. I emailed a letter to try to communicate with some important people there to apologise and say I've been indecent to the club but I haven't had any feedback.
“I want peace. We don't want this (acrimony) all the time. For the love of the fans, for the love of the club, sometimes things have to be settled the right way. I've been in touch with some people there.”
Toure, a coach in Ukraine with Olimpik Donetsk at the moment, is the hero rarely referenced. He helped end City’s 35-year old drought with a sterling performance against Manchester United in the 2011 FA Cup semi-final.
“The semi-final with United… we were a mess,” he says. 'They dominated us. How many chances? Joe Hart made incredible saves. (Dimitar) Berbatov missed the unmissable. It was incredible: two or three yards from goal, over the bar.
“They bullied us. We got to the dressing room at half-time… Roberto Mancini left us. We battered each other. Shouting. This cannot happen!
“If we lose then we lose – we accept it, they were better – but not playing like that. We lost all the duels. We were poor, it was horrendous. We respected United too much,” he said in an interview posted by the Daily Mail.
His winner in the subsequent FA Cup final over Stoke City. The three Premier League titles, the two League Cups. His stonking season in 2013-14, perhaps the best of any modern midfielder. In essence, his role in the City's ascent.