Former Manchester City defender Kolo Toure has been officially promoted to the club’s first-team coaching staff, transitioning from his previous role as under-18s coach.

The Ivorian, who was part of City’s Premier League-winning squad in the 2011–12 season, joined the senior setup temporarily during the Club World Cup in the United States. The club has now confirmed that his promotion is permanent.

Toure will work alongside Pep Guardiola under a reshaped coaching structure that includes Pep Lijnders—former assistant to Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool—and ex-Liverpool set-piece coach James French.

City’s director of football Hugo Viana praised Toure’s impact within the academy and the first team.
“We have been hugely impressed with his work and success with our under-18s, and adding him into our senior staff permanently will only strengthen the transition for players in our academy into the first team,” Viana said.
Describing Toure’s influence on the squad, Viana added, “As we already saw throughout his time with Pep Guardiola, Pep Lijnders, and James French this summer, his massive personality of optimism and positivity is hugely infectious.”
Toure’s promotion comes amid broader changes in City’s backroom staff. Coaches Juanma Lillo and Inigo Dominguez have departed, and Carlos Vicens has taken over as head coach at Portuguese side Braga.
Despite finishing last season without silverware, Manchester City continues to reshape its coaching ranks as it looks to maintain competitive momentum heading into the 2025–26 campaign.