Kolo Touré facts for kids
Touré lining up for the Ivory Coast in 2012
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kolo Abib Touré | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 19 March 1981 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Bouaké, Ivory Coast | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Current team
|
Manchester City (assistant coach) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ASEC Mimosas | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2002 | ASEC Mimosas | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2009 | Arsenal | 225 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2013 | Manchester City | 82 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2016 | Liverpool | 46 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Celtic | 9 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 362 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2015 | Ivory Coast | 120 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Ivory Coast U23 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Ivory Coast (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Wigan Athletic | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Kolo Abib Touré (born 19 March 1981) is a football manager and former player from Ivory Coast. He is currently an assistant coach at Manchester City.
Kolo Touré started his career as a defender with ASEC Mimosas in Ivory Coast. In 2002, he moved to the English team Arsenal. He played 326 games for Arsenal and was part of the famous "Invincibles" team that won the league without losing a single game in the 2003–04 season.
In 2009, he joined Manchester City. His younger brother, Yaya, joined him there a year later. Kolo helped Manchester City win their first league title in 44 years in 2012. He then played for Liverpool from 2013 to 2016. Kolo Touré is one of only ten players to have won the Premier League with two different clubs (Arsenal and Manchester City). He also won the Scottish Premiership and Scottish League Cup with Celtic. He has played more Premier League games (353) than any other African player.
Kolo Touré is the second-most capped player for the Ivory Coast. He played 120 games for his country between 2000 and 2015. He played in three FIFA World Cup tournaments (2006, 2010, and 2014). He also played in seven Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He helped Ivory Coast finish second in 2006 and 2012, and finally win the tournament in 2015.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Time at Arsenal
Kolo Touré was born in Bouaké, Ivory Coast. He joined Premier League team Arsenal in 2002 from ASEC Mimosas. He made his first team debut for Arsenal on 11 August 2002. This was in a 1–0 win against Liverpool in the FA Community Shield.
At first, Kolo played in different positions, including defensive midfield and right-back. He scored his first goal for Arsenal against Chelsea on 1 September 2002. Arsenal won the FA Cup in 2003, and Kolo was part of the squad.
For the 2003–04 season, his manager, Arsène Wenger, started playing Kolo as a central defender. He played alongside Sol Campbell. Arsenal had an amazing season, winning the league without losing a single game. This team is known as the "Invincibles."
Kolo became a very important player for Arsenal. In the 2005–06 season, he formed a strong defensive partnership with Philippe Senderos. They helped Arsenal reach the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final. They also set a European record by keeping 10 clean sheets (not letting the other team score) in a row. Kolo scored a crucial goal in the Champions League semi-final against Villarreal CF. This goal helped Arsenal reach their first-ever Champions League Final.
In October 2006, Kolo signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal. He even captained the team for the first time in January 2007. He led Arsenal in the 2007 Football League Cup final against Chelsea, which they lost.
Moving to Manchester City
On 28 July 2009, Kolo Touré moved to Manchester City. He signed a four-year contract. He hoped to help Manchester City become one of the top teams in the league. His manager, Mark Hughes, made him the club captain.
Kolo scored his first goal for Manchester City in a League Cup win against Fulham in September 2009. Manchester City finished fifth in the league that season. On 2 July 2010, Kolo's brother, Yaya, also joined Manchester City.
At the start of the 2010–11 season, Roberto Mancini became the manager and gave the captain's armband to Carlos Tevez. Kolo still played regularly in defense. In March 2011, Kolo Touré was suspended from playing for six months due to a rule violation.
When he returned for the 2011–12 season, Kolo was a squad player. He made 14 league appearances as Manchester City won the Premier League title. This was the club's first league title in 44 years.
Time at Liverpool
On 28 May 2013, Liverpool announced they would sign Kolo Touré on a free transfer from Manchester City. He was given the number 4 shirt and signed a two-year contract. He made his Premier League debut for Liverpool on 17 August 2013.
In the 2013–14 season, Liverpool was close to winning the league title. If they had won, Kolo would have been the first player since World War II to win the league with three different clubs. However, Manchester City won the title that year.
On 1 March 2015, Kolo played against his brother Yaya for the first time in a competitive match. Liverpool won the game 2–1. Kolo scored his first goal for Liverpool on 14 February 2016. It was a header in a 6–0 win against Aston Villa. He left Liverpool at the end of the 2015–16 season.
Playing for Celtic
On 24 July 2016, Kolo Touré joined Celtic in Scotland. He reunited with his former manager, Brendan Rodgers. He played 20 games as Celtic had an amazing season, winning the Scottish League, Scottish Cup, and Scottish League Cup without losing a single domestic game. Kolo was not offered a new playing contract after that season.
In September 2017, Kolo Touré announced he was retiring from playing football. He then started a coaching role with Celtic.
International Career
Kolo Touré first played for the Ivory Coast in April 2000. He played in all five games for Ivory Coast in the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, where they finished second.
He was part of the Ivory Coast squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, 2010 FIFA World Cup, and 2014 FIFA World Cup. He even captained the team in their first game of the 2010 World Cup.
Kolo also played in seven Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. He helped his country finish as runners-up in 2006 and 2012. Finally, in 2015, Ivory Coast won the Africa Cup of Nations. Kolo played in the final game, which they won on penalties. He scored his penalty kick. On 15 February 2015, he announced his retirement from international football.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Kolo Touré began his coaching career. On 9 August 2017, the Ivorian Football Federation appointed him as a coach for their national teams. He also joined Celtic's coaching staff as a technical assistant in September 2017.
In February 2019, he joined Leicester City as a first team coach, working with Brendan Rodgers again.
Wigan Athletic Manager
On 29 November 2022, Wigan Athletic appointed Kolo Touré as their first team manager. He signed a three-and-a-half-year deal. However, his time as manager was short. He was sacked by Wigan on 26 January 2023. The team was at the bottom of the Championship league, and they had not won any of his nine games in charge.
Return to Manchester City
On 15 July 2025, Kolo Touré was appointed as an assistant coach to Pep Guardiola for the men's team. Before this, he had spent some time as an assistant coach at Manchester City's Elite Development Squad.
Personal Life
Kolo Touré is the older brother of Ibrahim Touré and Yaya Touré. Sadly, Ibrahim passed away from cancer in 2014 when he was 28 years old. Kolo also has a sister named Belinda.
Kolo Touré is a Muslim. He observes fasting during the Islamic month of Ramadan. He has said that fasting makes him stronger because he believes so strongly in it.
Kolo is married to Awo. They have a son and a daughter. His son, Yassine, is also playing football and signed a scholarship with Leicester City in December 2021.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Arsenal | 2001–02 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 26 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 2 | |
| 2003–04 | Premier League | 37 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 55 | 3 | |
| 2004–05 | Premier League | 35 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 1 | |
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 1 | |
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 35 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 0 | — | 53 | 4 | ||
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 30 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | — | 41 | 2 | ||
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 29 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | — | 41 | 1 | ||
| Total | 225 | 9 | 25 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 65 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 326 | 14 | ||
| Manchester City | 2009–10 | Premier League | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 35 | 2 | ||
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 29 | 1 | ||
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 20 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | Premier League | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | ||
| Total | 82 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 102 | 3 | ||
| Liverpool | 2013–14 | Premier League | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 21 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | Premier League | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 26 | 1 | ||
| Total | 46 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 1 | ||
| Celtic | 2016–17 | Scottish Premiership | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 17 | 0 | |
| Career total | 362 | 12 | 36 | 3 | 24 | 1 | 90 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 516 | 18 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivory Coast | 2000 | 1 | 0 |
| 2001 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 12 | 1 | |
| 2007 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 13 | 2 | |
| 2011 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2012 | 14 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 120 | 7 | |
- Scores and results list Ivory Coast's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Touré goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 April 2004 | Stade de Aix-les-Bains, Aix-les-Bains, France | 21 |  Guinea |
2–1 | 4–2 | Friendly |
| 2 | 8 October 2006 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast | 47 |  Gabon |
3–0 | 5–0 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 3 | 4 June 2010 | Stade Tourbillon, Sion, Switzerland | 80 |  Japan |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 4 | 10 August 2010 | Upton Park, London, England | 84 |  Italy |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 5 | 9 October 2011 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast | 88 |  Burundi |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 6 | 9 June 2012 | Stade de Marrakech, Marrakech, Morocco | 99 |  Morocco |
2–1 | 2–2 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 14 November 2014 | Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Ivory Coast | 112 |  Sierra Leone |
1–0 | 5–1 | 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Wigan Athletic | 29 November 2022 | 26 January 2023 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Total | 9 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0.0 | ||
Honours and Achievements
Arsenal
- Premier League: 2003–04 (The Invincibles)
- FA Cup: 2002–03, 2004–05
- FA Community Shield: 2002, 2004
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2006–07
- UEFA Champions League 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 runner-up: 2015–16
Celtic
- Scottish Premiership: 2016–17
- Scottish League Cup: 2016–17
Ivory Coast
- Africa Cup of Nations: 2015
Individual Awards
- CAF Team of the Year: 2005, 2006
- Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2015
See also
In Spanish: Kolo Touré para niños
- List of footballers with 100 or more caps
