HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Kolo Abib Touré (born 19 March 1981) is an Ivorian professional football coach and former player who is the manager of Championship side
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, ...
. He played as a defender for
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostl ...
, Manchester City,
Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
,
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foo ...
and the Ivory Coast national team. He previously served as a first team coach at Leicester City as well as a member of the coaching staff for the Ivory Coast national team. Beginning his career at
ASEC Mimosas The Association Sportive des Employés de Commerce Mimosas, literally Mimosas Commerce Employees' Sporting Association, is an Ivorian football club based in Abidjan. The club is also known as ''ASEC Mimosas Abidjan'' and ''ASEC Abidjan'', especi ...
, Touré moved to
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostl ...
in 2002, where he made 326 appearances for the club and was a member of the 03–04 'invincibles' side. In 2009, he moved to Manchester City, where he was joined a year later by his younger brother,
Yaya Touré Gnégnéri Yaya Touré (born 13 May 1983) is an Ivorian professional football coach and former player who played as a midfielder. He is an academy coach for Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur. Touré aspired to be a striker during his ...
, helping City earn its first league title in 44 years. In 2013, Touré was transferred to
Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
. He is one of the eight players who have won the Premier League with two clubs, having won it with Arsenal and Manchester City. He also won the
Scottish Premiership The Scottish Premiership, known as the cinch Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is the top division of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottis ...
and
Scottish League Cup The Scottish League Cup (also known as the Viaplay Cup for sponsorship reasons) is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League Cup in existe ...
with
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foo ...
. He remains to date the African player with the most
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
appearances (353 in total). Touré is the second-most capped player for the
Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre i ...
, with 120 appearances from 2000 to 2015. He represented the team at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup tournaments. Touré also represented the Ivory Coast at seven Africa Cup of Nations tournaments between 2002 and 2015, helping them finish runner-up in 2006 and 2012, while winning in 2015.


Club career


Arsenal

Born in Bouaké, Touré joined
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
team
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostl ...
from
ASEC Mimosas The Association Sportive des Employés de Commerce Mimosas, literally Mimosas Commerce Employees' Sporting Association, is an Ivorian football club based in Abidjan. The club is also known as ''ASEC Mimosas Abidjan'' and ''ASEC Abidjan'', especi ...
on a long-term contract for a fee of £150,000 on 14 February 2002 after a short trial. His status as a full international meant Touré was able to secure a British work permit. Touré did not make his debut for the
first team First team may refer to: Sports * First team (association football) Association football (more commonly known as football) was first codified in 1863 in England, although games that involved the kicking of a ball were evident considerably e ...
until the next season, against
Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
in the FA Community Shield in August 2002. Initially regarded as a utility player, he started his Arsenal career as a defensive midfielder as well as at
right-back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
. He scored his first Arsenal goal at Stamford Bridge in a 1–1 draw against Chelsea. Arsenal failed to retain the Premiership crown that season, but Touré made a big step in his career nonetheless, winning the
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football compet ...
as an unused substitute in the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
. At the start of the 2003–04 season, Wenger began using Touré as a central defender alongside
Sol Campbell Sulzeer Jeremiah Campbell (born 18 September 1974) is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of club Southend United. He previously managed Macclesfield Town from November 2018 to August ...
. He formed an effective partnership with Campbell and had a great season during which Arsenal were undefeated in the league, claiming the title. Having previously been a striker or attacking midfielder, he made a reputation for himself as being an attacking defender, although he only scored one goal and had one assist. Touré was in and out of the Arsenal team during the 2004–05 season, battling for a first team place with the likes of Philippe Senderos and Pascal Cygan to play alongside
Sol Campbell Sulzeer Jeremiah Campbell (born 18 September 1974) is an English professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of club Southend United. He previously managed Macclesfield Town from November 2018 to August ...
in defence. Touré ended the season with a FA Cup winners medal playing 50 times for Arsenal that season and scoring one goal. His only goal of the 2004–05 season came in the 90th minute of Arsenal's
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
last 16 round tie against Bayern Munich of Germany. Arsenal lost the game 3–1. Touré established himself as a permanent fixture in the Arsenal starting XI. In the 2005–06 season, he established a formidable defensive partnership with Senderos. Both centre-backs helped the Arsenal team reach the
2006 UEFA Champions League Final The 2006 UEFA Champions League Final was an association football match between Barcelona of Spain and Arsenal of England at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, France, on Wednesday, 17 May 2006. It was the final match of the 2005� ...
after keeping 10 consecutive clean sheets (a European competition record). Touré scored his second European goal on 19 April 2006, the winner in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Villarreal CF. It was the final European goal scored at Highbury and the goal that effectively decided the tie (Arsenal won 1–0 on aggregate), to send Arsenal through to their first ever Champions League Final, in Paris, France. Touré was handed the number 5 shirt for the 2006–07 season, which had been vacant since the departure of Martin Keown. In August 2006, Touré signed a new four-year deal with Arsenal. Touré was the junior
vice-captain Vice-captain, alternate captain (ice hockey) or vice-skip ( curling) may refer to a role in a number of sports immediately below the role of captain. The vice-captain may have a number of different roles, including substituting as captain when the r ...
in the 2006–07 season after former
vice-captain Vice-captain, alternate captain (ice hockey) or vice-skip ( curling) may refer to a role in a number of sports immediately below the role of captain. The vice-captain may have a number of different roles, including substituting as captain when the r ...
Gilberto Silva Gilberto Aparecido da Silva (; born 7 October 1976) is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder most notably for English Premier League club Arsenal, Super League club Panathinaikos F.C., Clube Atlét ...
and former captain Thierry Henry. He captained Arsenal for the first time on 9 January 2007 during a 6–3 victory over
Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
in the League Cup. He also led the Gunners out for the final of this competition, having also captained them in the semi-final first leg against
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
. He became the longest-serving member of the current Arsenal squad following the departures of
Jérémie Aliadière Jérémie Aliadière (born 30 March 1983) is a French former professional footballer who played as a striker. As a graduate of the elite Clairefontaine academy, he signed for Arsenal at the age of 16. During his career he also played for Celti ...
, Thierry Henry and Freddie Ljungberg during the summer transfer window in 2007. He also captained Arsenal in a string of games early in the 2007–08 season after captain William Gallas was injured in the game against Blackburn Rovers. He scored a free kick in a match against Bolton Wanderers, where his shot was low and went under two Bolton players and beat Jussi Jääskeläinen. However, during the Africa Cup of Nations, he suffered an injury and looked a bit out of place when he returned and then injured himself again in the Champions League against A.C. Milan when he blocked Alexandre Pato's shot with his leg and was carried off the pitch after treatment. Touré returned to the starting lineup against
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the ...
on 15 March and scored the equalising goal for Arsenal in the final 10 minutes. On 13 April 2009, Touré demanded a move away from Arsenal after a reputed bust-up with defensive partner Gallas. He reportedly handed in a transfer request which was later turned down by Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood. However, Touré temporarily reversed his decision and committed to the Gunners at least until the summer.


Manchester City

After much transfer speculation, it was announced on 28 July 2009 that Manchester City had agreed a fee of £14 million for Touré. After he successfully passed a medical in Manchester on 29 July 2009, Touré signed a four-year contract with the club which had the option of extending it to five years. City, who had finished 10th the previous season, had made a number of high-profile signings in preparation for the 2009–10 season, and Touré hoped to help make City a top four team. He was appointed the club captain by Mark Hughes. He scored his first goal for Manchester City in a 2–1 League Cup win over Fulham on 23 September 2009. He scored his first league goal for City against Burnley on 7 November 2009. Manchester City finished the season in fifth position, losing out to
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
by just three points. On 2 July 2010, Kolo Touré was joined by his brother Yaya at Manchester City following a transfer believed to be worth around £24 million. At the beginning of the 2010–11 season,
Roberto Mancini Roberto Mancini (; born 27 November 1964) is an Italian football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the Italy national team. As a player, Mancini operated as a deep-lying forward, and was best known for his time at Sam ...
took away the captain's armband from Touré and gave it to Carlos Tevez. However, he remained part of Mancini's plans and was a first team regular in defence. He was sent off in Manchester City's 2–1 defeat to Everton on 20 December 2010, helping to deny City the chance to top the Premier League table on Christmas. On 15 January 2011, Touré scored the first goal in a 4–3 win for the Citizens which sent them to the top of the league table. On 3 March 2011, it was revealed that Touré had failed a drug test and had been suspended. The World Anti-Doping Agency imposed a 6-month suspension from football effective 2 March 2011. In the 2011–12 season, Touré was used as a squad player, making 14 league appearances as Manchester City won a league title for the first time in 44 years.


Liverpool

On 28 May 2013,
Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
announced that an agreement had been reached in principle to sign Touré on a free transfer from Manchester City. On 2 July he was unveiled as Liverpool's first signing of the window and was handed the number 4 shirt. He signed a two-year contract. On 13 July 2013, he made his debut for Liverpool in a 4–0 win in a preseason friendly over Preston North End. He made his Premier League debut for Liverpool on 17 August 2013 in a 1–0 victory over Stoke City at Anfield. On 2 February 2014, in a match against
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pl ...
he made a costly mistake, passing the ball straight to
Victor Anichebe Victor Chinedu Anichebe (born 23 April 1988) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Early life Anichebe was born in Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria but moved to Liverpool, Merseyside, England aged one. His family or ...
, who scored an equaliser. On 12 February 2014, he scored an own-goal in a match against Fulham, which eventually Liverpool won thanks to a late penalty from skipper
Steven Gerrard Steven George Gerrard (born 30 May 1980) is an English professional football manager and former player, who most recently managed club Aston Villa. Described by pundits and fellow professionals as one of his generation's greatest players, ...
. On 1 March 2015, he came on as an 83rd-minute substitute against Manchester City, marking the first time he and his brother Yaya, who started the match for City, faced each other in a competitive match. Touré scored his first Liverpool goal on 14 February 2016, heading in Jordan Henderson's corner kick to confirm a 6–0 win away to bottom side Aston Villa. It was his first goal in any match since January 2011, and he celebrated wildly. At the end of the 2015–16 season, Touré was released.


Celtic

On 24 July 2016, Touré reunited with former manager Brendan Rodgers when he joined
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foo ...
on a one-year contract. He made his debut on 3 August 2016, coming on as a substitute in the second half of Celtic's 2–1 win over FC Astana in a Champions League qualifier. He made 20 appearances as Celtic completed an unbeaten domestic season, winning a treble of
League League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...
,
Cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, cl ...
and League Cup. Touré was not offered a new playing contract at the end of the 2016/17 season. In September 2017, Touré announced his retirement and took up a coaching role with Celtic.


International career

Touré made his debut for
Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre i ...
in April 2000 against Rwanda. He played in all five games for the Ivory Coast as they finished runners up to the hosts in the
African Cup of Nations The Africa Cup of Nations referred to as AFCON (french: Coupe d'Afrique des Nations, sometimes referred to as CAN, or TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons), and sometimes as African Cup of Nations, is the main internat ...
in
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...
in January 2006. He was named in the 23-man squad taken by coach Henri Michel to the
2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host th ...
and made his first appearance in a
FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament has ...
on 11 June 2006 in the Ivory Coast's 2–1 loss to
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...
. He has scored three goals for the Ivory Coast to date, two of them headers against Guinea and
Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the nort ...
one against
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
, a 20-yard shot from outside the penalty area that flew into the top corner of the goal. Touré was named for the Ivory Coast for the
2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
and was the captain in the team's first game vs.
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...
due to Didier Drogba's injury, which kept him benched. In December 2014, Touré announced his intention to retire from international football after the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. He played his final game in the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
of the tournament on 8 February 2015, where Ivory Coast beat Ghana 9–8 on penalties after the game ended 0–0. He took the seventh penalty for Ivory Coast, which he scored. On 15 February 2015, he confirmed his retirement from international duty.


Coaching career

On 9 August 2017, the
Ivorian Football Federation The Ivorian Football Federation (french: Fédération Ivoirienne de Football, FIF) is the governing body of football in Ivory Coast and is in charge of the Ivory Coast national team and other footballing matters in the country. The top teams ...
appointed Touré as a new member of their coaching staff for the African Nations Championship and under-23 team. He joined Celtic's coaching staff as a technical assistant in September 2017. In February 2019, Brendan Rodgers left Celtic for Leicester City, and Touré also joined Leicester as a first team coach.


Wigan Athletic

On 29 November 2022,
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club () is an English professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1932, ...
appointed Touré as first team manager on a three and a half-year deal.


Personal life

He is the older brother of Ibrahim Touré and
Yaya Touré Gnégnéri Yaya Touré (born 13 May 1983) is an Ivorian professional football coach and former player who played as a midfielder. He is an academy coach for Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur. Touré aspired to be a striker during his ...
. Ibrahim died of cancer in 2014, aged 28. They also have a sister, Belinda. Touré is a
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
and observes fasting during the Islamic month of
Ramadan , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...
, stating that "It doesn't affect me physically. It makes me stronger. You can do it when you believe so strongly in something. A normal human can be without water for much longer than one day." Touré is married to Awo. As of 2011, they had a son and a daughter. His son, Yassine, is also pursuing a football career, having signed a two-year scholarship with Leicester City in December 2021.


Career statistics


Club


International

:''Scores and results list Ivory Coast's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Touré goal.''


Managerial statistics


Honours

Arsenal *
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...
: 2003–04 *
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football compet ...
: 2002–03, 2004–05 * FA Community Shield: 2002, 2004 * Football League Cup runner-up: 2006–07 *
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
runner-up: 2005–06 Manchester City * Premier League: 2011–12 * FA Community Shield: 2012 Liverpool * Football League Cup runner-up: 2015–16 *
UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
runner-up: 2015–16 Celtic *
Scottish Premiership The Scottish Premiership, known as the cinch Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is the top division of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL), the league competition for men's professional football clubs in Scotland. The Scottis ...
: 2016–17 *
Scottish League Cup The Scottish League Cup (also known as the Viaplay Cup for sponsorship reasons) is a football competition open to all Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) clubs. First held in 1946–47, it is the oldest national League Cup in existe ...
: 2016–17 Ivory Coast * Africa Cup of Nations: 2015 Individual *Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2015


See also

* List of footballers with 100 or more caps


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Toure, Kolo 1981 births Living people People from Bouaké Ivorian Muslims Ivorian footballers Association football defenders Association football midfielders Association football utility players ASEC Mimosas players Arsenal F.C. players Manchester City F.C. players Liverpool F.C. players Celtic F.C. players Premier League players Scottish Professional Football League players Ivory Coast international footballers 2002 African Cup of Nations players 2006 FIFA World Cup players 2006 Africa Cup of Nations players 2008 Africa Cup of Nations players 2010 Africa Cup of Nations players 2010 FIFA World Cup players 2012 Africa Cup of Nations players 2013 Africa Cup of Nations players 2014 FIFA World Cup players 2015 Africa Cup of Nations players FIFA Century Club Africa Cup of Nations-winning players Ivorian sportspeople in doping cases Doping cases in association football Ivorian expatriate footballers Ivorian emigrants to the United Kingdom Ivorian expatriate sportspeople in England Ivorian expatriate sportspeople in Scotland Expatriate footballers in England Expatriate footballers in Scotland Celtic F.C. non-playing staff Leicester City F.C. non-playing staff Wigan Athletic F.C. managers FA Cup Final players Association football coaches