Four-time African Footballer of the Year Yaya Toure of the Ivory Coast announced his retirement from international football on Tuesday.
The 33-year-old Manchester City midfielder – capped 113 times including appearances at three World Cup finals – said it had been an incredibly difficult decision.
“Writing this note was probably ‘the most difficult match of my life’,” wrote Toure, who faces a pretty light season as he is out of favour at Manchester City.
“After 14 years at the highest level, I’m sure this is the right time for me! The fact that I am 33 now, the intensity of training and the multitude of games are not the reasons why I am making this decision.”
And at Manchester City he will not play again until the player’s camp apologises for comments made by his agent, manager Pep Guardiola vowed on Tuesday.
Dimitri Seluk accused the City manager of “humiliating” Toure by leaving him out of the club’s Champions League squad at the start of this month.
The Ivorian midfielder, has not figured in a single City match-day squad since then.
