Kolo Toure Appointed Permanent First-Team Coach at Manchester City

Kolo Toure has been permanently appointed as an assistant first-team coach at Manchester City, following a successful stint during the Club World Cup and his impactful work with the club's Under-18 team. City’s director of football, Hugo Viana, praised Toure for his elite-level football experience, deep connection with the club, and his role in facilitating the transition of academy players to the senior squad. Toure, who made 102 appearances for City between 2009 and 2013 and won the Premier League, has coaching experience from the Ivory Coast national team, Celtic, Leicester City, and a brief managerial role at Wigan Athletic. He joins a refreshed coaching team including Pep Lijnders and James French, as the club rebuilds after a challenging season and changes in coaching staff. Toure’s optimism and positivity have been noted as influential qualities that benefit the team environment. This appointment underscores Manchester City's commitment to integrating former players into coaching roles to strengthen the club's performance and development pipeline.