Kolo Touré
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| Kolo Touré | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kolo Abib Touré | |
| Date of birth | March 19, 1981 (age 26) | |
| Place of birth | Sokoura Bouake, Côte d'Ivoire | |
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | |
| Nickname | The Rock | |
| Playing position | Centre back Full back |
|
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Arsenal F.C. | |
| Number | 5 | |
| Youth clubs | ||
| 2000-2002 | ASEC Mimosas | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 2002-present | Arsenal F.C. | 156 (5) |
| National team2 | ||
| 2000-present | Côte d'Ivoire | 45 (2) |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
Kolo Abib Touré (born March 19, 1981 in Sokoura Bouake, Côte d'Ivoire), is an Ivorian footballer currently playing for Arsenal. Touré has a great vertical leap and is one of the fastest players at his club (the others being Thierry Henry and Theo Walcott).
He is deployed by Arsène Wenger at centre-back, but is also more than capable of playing as a full-back.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Career in the Côte d'Ivoire
Kolo Touré was discovered in the Côte d'Ivoire and was a scholar at the Abidjan football school run by Jean-Marc Guillou. Touré established himself as a player for leading African club ASEC Mimosas. He earned his first full international cap for the Côte d'Ivoire at the age of 19 in 2000.
[edit] Career in Europe
Arsenal and Belgium club KSK Beveren had links through Guillou to Ivory Coast Football. It was through these links that Arsenal became aware of Touré's talent. After a short trial Touré joined Arsenal in February 2002 from ASEC Mimosas for £150,000. His status as a full international meant Touré was able to secure a British work permit. He was initially seen as cover for Arsenal's right back Lauren.
Touré did not make his debut for the first team until the next season, against Liverpool F.C. in the FA Community Shield August 2002. Initially regarded as a 'utility man', he started his Arsenal career as a midfielder as well as in defence. However, since the aging Martin Keown was never properly replaced in the transfer market, Wenger increasingly utilised him as a central defender alongside Sol Campbell.
Touré quickly established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the Premiership. He is now a fixture in the Arsenal starting eleven, and a firm fans' favourite. He was a key member of the Arsenal team that won the premiership title without a single defeat. In the 2005-06 season he established a formidable defensive partnership with Philippe Senderos. Both centre-backs had immaculate form towards the end of the season, helping the Arsenal team reach the 2006 Champions League Final after keeping 10 consecutive clean sheets (a European competition record). After his imperious displays in the Champions League his stock rose dramatically, he was now regarded as one of the finest in the world in his position. The Italian press even went as far as labeling him the 'African Fabio Cannavaro' after Arsenal knocked Juventus out of the competition.
Kolo scored his second European goal on April 19, 2006, a vitally important winner in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Villarreal. It was the final European goal scored at Highbury and the goal that effectively decided the tie (Arsenal won 1-0 on aggregate), to send Arsenal through to their first ever Champions League Final in Paris.
In August 2006 Touré signed a new four-year deal with Arsenal worth around £70,000 a week. “I can see myself staying here [at Arsenal] for the rest of my career,” said Touré. “Why would I want to leave? I love my football here, my family is settled here and the club is ambitious. It is fantastic.”
Touré is seen by many as a future Arsenal Captain and is currently the junior vice-captain after vice-captain Gilberto Silva and regular captain Thierry Henry. He captained Arsenal for the first time on January 9th 2007, during a 6-3 victory over Liverpool in the Carling Cup. He also led the gunners out for the final of this competition, having also captained them in the semi-final first leg against Tottenham. In the final, in the dying minutes of second half stoppage time, Touré, frustrated at Chelsea's timewasting and constant fouls on Arsenal players, lashed out at John Obi Mikel, the Chelsea midfielder. This further led to an small altercation between Cesc Fabregas and Frank Lampard as well, with the rest of the players and both managers having to calm them down. In the end Touré and Obi Mikel received straight red cards, with Adebayor getting sent off for allegedly punching Chelsea left-back Wayne Bridge, which was actually done by Arsenal wing-back Emmanuel Eboué. Touré told Arsenal.com that he regrets his actions, and he hopes that his exemplary disciplinary record (this was his first red card in over 200 appearances for Arsenal) will save him from a ban. Lampard and Fabregas (who took over the captaincy after Touré's dismissal) escaped with bookings. Chelsea won the match 2-1 with a brace from Touré's compatriot, Didier Drogba, cancelling out Theo Walcott's first half goal.
he was handed the No. 5 shirt for the 2006-07 season, which had been vacant since the departure of Martin Keown.
[edit] International career
He has played for the Côte d'Ivoire since 2000. His debut was in April 2000 against Rwanda. He is a first choice central defender. He played in all 5 games for the Côte d'Ivoire as they finished runners up to the hosts in the African Cup of Nations in Egypt in January 2006.
He was named in the 23-man squad taken by coach Henri Michel to the 2006 World Cup and made his first appearance in a World Cup on June 11, 2006 in Côte d'Ivoire's 1-2 loss to Argentina.
[edit] Family
Kolo has two brothers who play professional football as well: Yaya Touré and Ibrahim Touré. His brother Yaya is also an Ivory Coast International. A practicing Muslim, Touré lives with his wife Awo, daughter Sania and son Yiassin in north London.
[edit] Career stats
| Club | Season | League | Cup* | Europe | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | ||
| Arsenal | 2002-03 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 6 | - | - | 7 | - | - | 39 | 2 | 1 |
| 2003-04 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 2 | - | 10 | - | - | 55 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2004-05 | 35 | - | - | 7 | - | - | 8 | 1 | - | 50 | 1 | - | |
| 2005-06 | 33 | - | - | 1 | - | - | 12 | 1 | 1 | 46 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2006-07 | 25 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 3 | 3 | |
| Total | 232 | 10 | 6 | ||||||||||
(* FA Cup, League Cup and FA Community Shield)
[edit] Honours
International
African Cup of Nations: Runner up 2006
FA Premiership Champions: 2003-04
Champions League Finalist: 2006
Carling Cup Finalist: 2007
[edit] External links
- Official website (in French)
- Kolo Touré's official profile at Arsenal.com
- Kolo Touré career stats at Soccerbase
- Profile at 4thegame.com
- Profile at sporting-heroes.net
- Profile at premierleague.com
- Profile at Yahoo World Cup site
 |
Côte d'Ivoire squad - 2006 FIFA World Cup | |
|---|---|---|
|
1 Tizié | 2 Akalé | 3 Boka | 4 K. Touré | 5 Zokora | 6 Kouassi | 7 Faé | 8 Kalou | 9 A. Koné | 10 Yapi Yapo | 11 Drogba | 12 Méïté | 13 Zoro | 14 B. Koné | 15 Dindane | 16 Gnanhouan | 17 Domoraud | 18 Keïta | 19 Y. Touré | 20 Demel | 21 Eboué | 22 Romaric | 23 Barry | Coach: Michel |
||
| Arsenal F.C. - Current Squad |
|---|
|
1 Lehmann | 2 Diaby | 4 Fàbregas | 5 Touré | 6 Senderos | 7 Rosický | 8 Ljungberg | 9 Baptista | 10 Gallas | 11 van Persie | 13 Hleb | 14 Henry | 15 Denílson | 16 Flamini | 19 Gilberto | 20 Djourou | 21 Poom | 22 Clichy | 24 Almunia | 25 Adebayor | 27 Eboué | 30 Aliadière | 31 Hoyte | 32 Walcott | 33 Connolly | 43 Randall | 45 Traoré | Manager: Wenger |
