Yaya Touré has decried the wide coverage of a curse that supposedly came upon Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola because of him.

In 2018, Seluk had a dramatic falling out with Guardiola on account of how he treated Yaya Toure.

In view of this, Seluk claimed that Shamans from Africa had placed a curse on Guardiola which would deny him another Champions League victory aside his previous two with Barcelona.

Earlier Monday, May 8, 2023, UK-based Mirror released an exclusive report that Toure's former agent Dimitri Seluk had indicated that the curse placed on Pep Guardiola had been lifted.

“I think it is time for this bitterness to stop," he noted according to Mirror. "And I know that Yaya feels the same because he wishes nothing but success for City."

“I can say that the spell has now been lifted by the shamans," he announced, adding that: "I think City will win the Champions League under Pep."

He was not specific about when the possible victory and evidence of the curse's lifting will take place but he was confident that it will not be later than three years from now.

“They have a good chance of winning it this year. But whatever happens they will definitely win it in the next three years," the Russian, Seluk, said.

Reacting to this report, the football star Gnégnéri Yaya Touré has revealed that he does not work with Dimitri Seluk anymore and thus, nothing he says represents his official position. 

He also rebuked the idea of a curse's pronouncement because of his strained relationship with Pep Guardiola, calling it "nonsense" that creates negative impressions about Africans. 

The star midfielder said this via his Twitter timeline.

"My former agent is being quoted by the media about a 'curse'," he noted and asked not to be associated "with this nonsense and lazy stereotypes about African curses."

He categorically denounced Seluk stressing that: "This man does not represent me in anyway."

Touré also pleaded with the "media" to "move on" from the supposed curse and its latest reported lifting otherwise, they are causing harm by "amplifying" the controversial issue.

In the summer 2018, star midfielder Yaya Touré left the Etihad. He had just earned his third Premier League title medal.

Not more than a month after departing from the Pep Guardiola-led Manchester City, allegations were rife that Pep disliked Black players. Seluk also claimed that Shamans in Africa, angry about Pep's reported mistreatment of Yaya Touré had declared that he would not lift another Champions League trophy with any team he manages.

Despite being domestic champions, Pep Guardiola's Man City have suffered heart-wrenching defeats striving to attain UEFA Champions League glory. 

Chelsea defeated Man City in a 2021 final match, while Real Madrid knocked them out last season during the semi-finals in spite of a 5-3 aggregate lead.

Seluk remarked that “as Yaya’s agent, it was my responsibility to fight for my client and try to defend him."

In his widely reported renouncement, however, he said the lifting of the curse is a birthday present.

“Do you remember when I once criticised City for not giving Yaya a cake on his birthday?

“Well it is my birthday this month and my present is for this curse to be ended. In fact, it is my hope that City win the Treble this season.”

Currently, Toure is an academy coach at Tottenham Hotspurs FC.