Agent Dmitriy Seluk in an exclusive interview with Telecomasia.net called former Manchester City footballer Yaya Touré's statements that Dmitriy is no longer his representative a betrayal.
- Do you think that Touré has betrayed you?
- Yes, it's a kind of betrayal. Of course it's unpleasant. But basically our work is done. If he was a player, this wouldn't have happened. Now I don't really represent him. He does not play. I can't represent the interests of a regular person, it's not normal. Obviously the media is calling him and asking questions, but he is distancing himself, he is afraid to speak out.
- You still haven't answered: was there really a curse from the shamans?
- That's not the point. You don't have to look far for examples. Many coaches have their superstitions. Like, Marcel Lička wears a pink sweater when he wins. God sees everything. I help very poor people who basically live in ghettos, I help large families. And God sees that. And when injustice happens to me, something happens to these people right away. Someone dies or gets arrested - that's the way of life.
- Is Yaya still working at Tottenham's academy?
- Yes, but at the moment I am afraid he might end up like that. There is an opinion that I am stuck to him. I took a young and promising player, and there were many of them. If I hadn't brought him to Ukraine, he wouldn't have made it this far. Even his brother Kolo could not get him into the national team. Lyon first rejected Yaya, and then the French regretted it. When he was at Metallurg, neither Shakhtar nor Dynamo Kyiv took him. They turned him down, and then they queued up for him.
- Your most famous footballer is Yaya Touré. According to Transfermarkt, Akhmat's Mohamed Konaté is at the top of your client list now. Why is that?
- There is a generational change. I worked with Yaya Touré, Eric Abidal and Jordi Cruyff. Now there is a new wave of youngsters that I want to bring in. Lawrence, who was at Khimki, is now playing with Ozdoyev at Fatih Karagumruk. But Ozdoyev is from Zenit and Lawrence was from Khimki. It is not so difficult to get a player in the team, it is more difficult to solve the visa issues. Especially getting a Schengen visa.
After Touré's departure from Manchester City, Seluk said that African shamans would prevent the English club from winning the Champions League because of Guardiola's unfair treatment of Touré in the 2017/18 season.
Ahead of the 2022/23 Champions League semifinal series between City and Real Madrid, Seluk said that African shamans had already broken the curse and that Guardiola's team could now win Europe's biggest trophy.