Ivorian midfielder confirms his agent Dimitry Seluk's
argument that he feels disrepected, despite Man City releasing video showing
they did sing and give him a cake.
Yaya Toure is considering leaving Manchester City because
the club's efforts to celebrate his birthday were not up to scratch.
Toure turned 31 on May 13, two days after City regained
the Premier League title with victory against West Ham United.
The club wrote a tweet to mark the occasion, which urged
fans to wish the midfielder happy birthday. They also released a video showing
club employees giving Toure a cake.
But Toure's agent Dimitry Seluk says the player feels
disrespected that no one personally shook his hand, and Toure himself has since
confirmed "everything Dimitry said is true. He speaks for me."
Speaking to the Sun, Seluk said: "Yaya is so upset
he's thinking of leaving City. There are a number of things that have happened
that have left Yaya feeling bitterly upset.
He must concentrate on the World
Cup now. But City have treated him with disrespect and have really hurt
him."
He added: "They don't know that money can't buy
relationships – no Sheikh can buy a relationship. This isn't about money or a
new contract – it's about human relationships and City have shown they don't
respect him. I repeat, this is not about money. In fact, he would take less to
return to Barcelona.
"What happened at his birthday meant the club don't
care about him. It was proof. They can say whatever they want, 'Oh we like him
but we forgot'.
"Forgot? About Yaya? The player who helped you to be
two-times Premier League champions? The guy who helped you win the FA Cup and
the League Cup?
"His birthday can be on a normal day and, in a
normal team, his team-mates and club would at least give him good wishes.
"But when you win the title on May 11, a day later
you go to Abu Dhabi and on May 13 you have a big party to celebrate the title
and nobody comes to Yaya to say, 'Happy birthday', what more do you want?"
The day of Toure's birthday, Manchester City posted
footage online of the moment they gave the midfielder a cake and sang 'Happy
Birthday' to him onboard the club's plane.
Toure seemed less than impressed though and refused to
even acknowledge the gesture, keeping his headphones on and staring straight
ahead during the celebrations.
However, Toure's agent later told the BBC that City's
efforts were not up to scratch.
"None of them shook his hand on his birthday. It's
really sick you know," said Seluk.
"He got a cake but when it was Roberto Carlos's
birthday, the president of Anzhi gave him a Bugatti.
"I don't expect City to present Yaya with a Bugatti,
we only asked that they shook his hand and said 'we congratulate you'. It is
the minimum they must do when it is his birthday and the squad is all together.
"It is an important human relationship to shake
hands and say 'happy birthday' but nobody did it to Yaya. It shows they don't
care about him.
"I hear one newspaper has written that City
congratulated him from Twitter but this is a joke. It is better they don't put
anything on Twitter if they are not saying anything to him.
"The club's owners ate a 100kg cake after winning
the Premier League this season but when they and the players were all together,
none of them shook his hand on his birthday."
He added: "If they don't respect him, then easy -
Yaya will leave. No problem."
Toure was named in the PFA Team of the Year after scoring
24 goals in all competitions last season and later on Tuesday made light of the
situation on Twitter:
However, an hour later he changed his mind and said:
Culled from Telegraph
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