Yaya Toure: “Anything but Barcelona. I would have preferred Bayern, Real Madrid or PSG. Anybody but Barca.
“When I was at Barcelona it was about discipline and trying to learn how to read the opponent and (launch) the counter-attack.
“I was mostly on the defensive side but at Manchester City I am involved in all aspects; the offensive side as well.
“People who know me well understand I like to go forward and want to be able to run the ball up the field.
“For me, that’s who I really think I am: A player who touches the ball a lot, because when you do that, you have this importance to your team, and for me, that is what is amazing.
“We don’t want to put pressure on ourselves because clubs like Madrid and Barcelona have a big history.
“We want to be at that level. Our goal is to become one of the big fish.
"Pellegrini has given us confidence and worked out how to get the best out of every player.”
“We won all the competitions that were possible for us to win at Barca. [Andres] Iniesta was unbelievable then, Xavi as well. [Lionel] Messi... [Samuel] Eto’o,” he says with relish as if momentarily lost in that time and place. “Even the players on the bench were of the highest level.
“They always compete and the Champions League is their main target... but if you want to be one of the best clubs in the world, you have to show you can compete with the best.
“Barcelona know how to manage these [situations] because they have been such a strong club for so long and for us it is the first time [in the elimination round.]
“What we want to do it to test ourselves because we have been so dominant at the Etihad but against Barcelona we will have to be careful because they have a fantastic (counter-attack) and the best player in the world on their team.
“It’s going to be difficult because of what I achieved when I was in Barcelona and what the fans and the people there gave me.
"I think they have a lot of respect for me because it was there I learned a high level of football, won important trophies, and learned how to be a professional at the highest level.
“[I have] fantastic memories, and the club has a fantastic history... but I think I had to move on.
“My target now is to come to City to make history.”
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