Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure thinks he is not recognised as one of the world’s best players because he is African.
The Ivory Coast international, who scored 22 goals this season, has won league titles in England, Spain and Greece, as well as the Champions League with Barcelona.
Speaking after Manchester City’s Capital One Cup victory at Wembley last month, his Club-mate Samir Nasri said Toure would be celebrated as one of the world’s best midfielders if he was not African.
“I think what Samir was saying was definitely true,” Toure told BBC’s Football Focus. “To be honest, proper recognition has only come from the fans.
“I don’t want to be hard and I don’t want to be negative, but I want to be honest.
“If you go to any part of Africa now, people will say ‘yes, we know him [Lionel Messi]‘, but when you come to Europe and say ‘Yaya Toure’ people will say ‘who is that?’
“Some will say they know my name but not know my face. But they will know Messi’s face.
“I am very proud to be African, I want to defend African people and I want to show to the world that African players can be as good as the Europeans and South Americans.”
Source: Sokkaa