Story highlights
- Toure won 113 caps for Ivory Coast
- Has played just once for City this season
(CNN)Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure's career, both for club and country, took two very different turns Tuesday.
The $300,000-a-week star announced he was quitting international football at the same time his club coach threatened to freeze him out for the rest of the season.
After the 33-year-old star announced he was retiring from Ivory Coast duty after a 14-year international career, City coach Pep Guardiola insisted Toure would not feature in his team unless the player apologized for remarks made by his agent, Dimitri Seluk.
Guardiola left Toure out of the club's UEFA Champions League squad -- a move which infuriated Seluk and led to a fierce polemic aimed at the Spaniard.
'Humiliate'
Yaya Toure on his Man City future 01:56
"I hope that Pep has the balls to say he was wrong to humiliate a great player like Yaya Toure," Seluk was quoted as saying in an interview with British tabloid the Mirror.
Guardiola could only include 17 overseas players in his squad for Europe's elite club competition -- but had 18 to choose from.
"He must apologize. If he doesn't, he won't play," Guardiola told reporters Tuesday. "A manager has to make his job. If he has a problem, he should speak to people at the club."
'Courage'
The business behind Guardiola 04:59
Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
Premier League spending during the European summer transfer window reached £1.165 billion ($1.544 billion) on deadline day, August 31. Brazilian defender David Luiz rejoined Chelsea from Paris St. Germain for a reported fee of £34 million ($44.7 million).
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
Luiz wasn't the only defender Chelsea signed on deadline day, after paying a reported £23 million ($30.5 million) to bring Marcos Alonso to Stamford Bridge from Italian club Fiorentina. It was the sixth consecutive year spending in England's top division has increased, breaking the £1 billion mark for the first time.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
Going the other way was Chelsea's Colombia star Juan Cuadrado, who re-signed for Serie A champion Juventus on a three-year loan deal.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
Tottenham Hotspur spent a club-record £30 million ($39.75 million) on deadline day to sign France midfielder Moussa Sissoko from relegated Newcastle United.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
After failing to challenge for the Premier League title last season, Arsene Wenger was under pressure to further strengthen his squad with high-profile players -- but it took until August 30 for Arsenal to announce the signing of Lucas Perez from Deportivo la Coruna for a reported fee of £17 million ($22 million). The 27-year-old is uncapped by Spain, but scored 17 goals in La Liga last season.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
Soon after the Perez deal, Arsenal also confirmed the signing of Germany defender Shkodran Mustafi (pictured right at Euro 2016) from Valencia. The fee was undisclosed but British media reported it to be above £30 million ($39 million).
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
Midfielder Jack Wilshere left Arsenal to join Bournemouth on a season-long loan, after manager Arsene Wenger couldn't guarantee the England international regular first team football.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo signed for Manchester City on August 25, joining former manager Pep Guardiola for a reported fee of £15.3 million ($20 million).
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
He replaced Joe Hart, who was deemed surplus to requirements by Pep Guardiola and promptly loaned out to Italian club Torino on August 31.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
On August 8, Paul Pogba became the most expensive signing in football history after rejoining Manchester United from Juventus in a deal worth €105 million ($116 million).
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
On July 26, Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain became the third most expensive signing in history, joining Italian champion Juventus from Serie A rival Napoli for €90 million ($99 million).
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
On June 30, Brazil forward Hulk became the Chinese Super League's most expensive signing, after joining Shanghai SIPG from Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg for €55.8 million ($60.8 million).
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
On June 28, Sadio Mane became the most expensive African player when the Senegal forward joined Liverpool from Southampton in a deal worth a reported £34 million ($44.7 million).
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
It might have been a free transfer, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic's July 1 move to Manchester United is one of the biggest deals of the summer window. The free-scoring Swede joined Jose Mourinho after his contract at Paris Saint-Germain expired.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
On July 6, Mourinho made Henrikh Mkhitaryan his second signing at the club, with Manchester United paying Borussia Dortmund a reported fee of $40 million for the Armenia midfielder.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
Mourinho's first acquisition was Ivory Coast defender Eric Bailly. On June 8, Manchester United announced the 22-year-old's signing from Spanish team Villarreal for a reported £30 million ($39.2 million) fee.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
John Stones didn't play a single minute in England's ill-fated Euro 2016 campaign, but on August 9 the 22-year-old joined Manchester City from Everton for a reported fee of $62.7 million -- which made him the world's second-most expensive defender.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
A week earlier, Leroy Sane had become Pep Guardiola's fifth Manchester City signing, joining from Schalke for a reported fee of $49 million. The 20-year-old made one appearance at Euro 2016, as a substitute in Germany's semifinal defeat by France.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
On July 1, Spain forward Nolito became Guardiola's second signing when Manchester City triggered the €18 million ($20 million) release clause in his Celta Vigo contract.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
On June 2, Germany midfielder llkay Gundogan became Guardiola's first City signing, joining for a reported £20 million ($26 million) fee from Borussia Dortmund.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
On July 21, Andre Gomes joined Barcelona from Valencia for an initial fee of €35 million ($39 million) after a successful Euro 2016 in which the midfielder helped Portugal win its first international title.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
Valencia's young Spain striker Paco Alcacer also moved to the Nou Camp after Barcelona clinched a €30 million ($33.4 million) deal on August 30. The 23-year-old has a buyout clause of €100 million ($111.4 million).
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France defender Samuel Umtiti moved to the Spanish champion on July 30, signing a five-year deal after Barca paid French side Lyon €25 million ($27.9 million).
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Barcelona also completed the €16.5 million ($18.4 million) signing of France international left-back Lucas Digne from Paris Saint-Germain on July 13.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
Italy striker Graziano Pelle reportedly became the joint-sixth highest paid player in the world after he left English club Southampton to join Chinese Super League side Shandong Luneng in a £13 million ($17 million) deal on July 11. The 31-year-old will reportedly earn that much in one season.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
On July 30, Spanish club Atletico Madrid signed French forward Kevin Gameiro from La Liga rival Sevilla for a reported €32 million ($35.6 million).
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
On June 16, Champions League finalist Atletico also agreed a €25 million ($27.8 million) deal for Benfica's Argentinian midfielder Nicolas Gaitan.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
World Cup winner Mario Goetze rejoined Borussia Dortmund on July 21 after an unsuccessful spell with Bayern Munich, which had made him Germany's most expensive player at the time when it paid €37 million for him in 2013.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
The next day, Dortmund continued to bolster its squad by signing Andre Schurrle from Bundesliga rival Wolfsburg for a reported fee of $33 million.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
On July 16, France midfielder N'Golo Kante was the first star name to be sold from Leicester City's Premier League-winning side, signing for English rival Chelsea in a $42 million deal.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
On July 3, former Juventus and Italy coach Antonio Conte started his Chelsea revolution by signing 22-year-old Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi from French club Marseille for a reported €40 million ($44.5 million).
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
On June 13, Juventus paid Italian rival Roma €32 million ($35.6 million) for Bosnia and Herzegovina midfielder Miralem Pjanic.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
On July 15, Juventus completed the signing of Morocco defender Medhi Benatia from Bayern Munich on a season-long loan costing €3 million ($3.45 million), with an option to buy for an extra €17 million ($19 million).
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Juventus signed Brazilian defender Dani Alves on a free transfer from Barcelona on June 27 after his contract at the Spanish club expired.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
On June 21, Real Madrid activated the €30 million ($34 million) buy-back clause for Spain striker Alvaro Morata -- who it had sold to Juventus for €20 million ($22.3 million) in 2014.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
Granit Xhaka made headlines at Euro 2016 when his shirt ripped -- before the tournament the Switzerland midfielder had already secured a move to English club Arsenal from Borussia Monchengladbach in a deal worth a reported £30 million ($39.2 million).
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Bayern Munich started the big-money moves in May, when the German champion announced a €35 million deal for Benfica's teenage midfielder Renato Sanches, who would help Portugal win Euro 2016.
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Photos: Europe's biggest summer signings
At the same time, Bayern also revealed it had agreed a deal to buy Germany's World Cup-winning defender Mats Hummels for reportedly a similar initial fee from Bundesliga rival Borussia Dortmund.
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Guardiola, who was Barcelona boss when Toure was sold to City in 2010, added that the player, who returned to training on Monday after suffering with a migraine, had not had the "courage" to call him about Seluk's comments.
The midfielder has made just one appearance this season and has yet to feature in the Premier League.
Toure, who has won two English titles with the club, is expected to leave the club in June when his contract expires, though his future will also be under scrutiny during the January transfer window.
"I cannot imagine when I was a player that my manager (agent) would go to the media and speak against (former Barcelona coach) Johan Cruyff and say about this and that," Guardiola said.
"Maybe it is a new period and things are changing. But I am an old guy. In the old generation, the manager has to make his job and the player his job, trainer his job.
"If he has a problem, call the club, and they can talk. Until he speaks, Yaya is not going to play."
Retirement
Toure won 113 caps for Ivory Coast.
Guardiola's comments came soon after four-time African player of the year Toure had announced his decision to retire from international football.
Toure, who led the Ivory Coast to glory at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations and played at three World Cups, made 113 appearances for his country.
"Writing this note was probably 'the most difficult match of my life.' After 14 years at the highest level, I'm sure this is the right time for me.
"The fact that I am 33 now, the intensity of training and the multitude of games are not the reasons why I am making this decision.
"I would like to say solemnly that I am stopping. It's true that I had several titles at clubs, national cups, league trophies. With the Elephants, it was even more special. I learned to win for my country. That's why I will always retain the pride in having achieved four African Golden Balls for the Ivory Coast."
According to Forbes, Toure's boot sponsorship deal with Puma stipulates part of the endorsement income should be used to give shoes and clothing to underprivileged West Africans.
