Manchester City

Samir Nasri: 'Yaya Toure would get more credit if he were Brazilian'

By Danielle Joynson, Staff Reporter | 04 March 2014

Samir Nasri believes that his Ivorian Manchester City teammate Yaya Toure would get more global recognition if he were Brazilian or Argentinian.

Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri believes that his teammate Yaya Toure would get more credit if he were Brazilian or Argentinian.

Toure played a part in City's Capital One Cup triumph on Sunday by scoring the equaliser, which pushed City on to secure a 3-1 victory over Sunderland at Wembley.

Nasri is adamant that the 30-year-old is one of the world's best midfielders, but the Frenchman believes that Toure is not widely recognised as such because he is from Africa.

"I'm tired to talk about Yaya," The Guardian quotes Nasri as saying. "You should know now [how good he is]. If he wasn't African everyone will say he's the best midfielder in the world.

"He can do everything, he can score goals, he can defend, he can attack. When he gets the ball he is so powerful. You should just admire the way he plays because he's a great player.

"Of course it counts against him being from Ivory Coast. If he was Argentinian or Brazilian everyone will talk about him, everyone."

Toure moved to City in 2010 from Barcelona.