Botafogo's Rotenberg slams Vasco-bound Yaya Toure

by Staff Reporter

Sunday May 24, 2020. 12:00

Ivory Coast international Yaya Toure has been slammed by Botafogo vice-president Ricardo Rotenberg.

Rotenberg indicated that the 37-year-old midfielder backtracked on their transfer agreement after he appeared to have reached a deal with their Brazilian rivals Vasco da Gama.

Toure, who is a free agent after leaving Chinese side Qingdao Huanghai last November, recently posted a video on Instagram indicating that he is set to join Vasco, whose president is Leven Siano.

“I want to thank Leven for inviting me for this project. I cannot wait to see all the Vasco fans very soon. It’s going to be Vasco,” Toure said on Instagram.

This has angered Rotenberg, who has indicated that they have reached an agreement with Toure in the past.

“Vasco’s offer proves Yaya doesn’t want to play football, because he agreed to play just next year,” said Rotenberg as per Globoesporte.

“He’s a guy whose word means nothing. He had an attitude from those who have no character. He could just have said he didn’t want to play here. Now I don’t want to see him. As Heleno de Freitas [a Botafogo’s idol] said, Botafogo is not a team for cowards.”

Rotenberg also accused Toure of “lacking seriousness,” and compared him to Japanese superstar Keisuke Honda, who joined Botafogo last February.

“I don’t think our path was wrong, but Yaya lacked seriousness. He could go to any team, but he had no dignity to give us an answer,” he added.

“Yaya does not deserve to wear the Botafogo shirt. He is not like Honda. Thank God it is Honda who is at Botafogo and not Yaya.

“He is not like Honda off the pitch. He is a guy I don’t want to see, I’m blocking him on my cell phone. I don’t want to apologize afterwards, saying he regretted it.”