With coach Pep Guardiola's defeat in the Champions League final on Saturday evening in a way that many did not anticipate, some recalled the words of player agent Dmitri Seluk. Seluk was the agent of Ivorian player Yaya Toure, whom Guardiola marginalized upon arriving at Manchester City, putting him on the bench, according to the Spanish newspaper "Marca."
In 2018, Seluk asserted that Guardiola's decision not to rely on Toure, who was in his final season with Manchester City, angered the "African shamans." Shamans are a group that follows ancient religious manifestations and is concerned with the balance between human internal powers and the surrounding spiritual forces, with some accusing them of witchcraft and sorcery.
Seluk stated, "Guardiola has turned all Africans against him... Many fans in Africa have distanced themselves from supporting Manchester City." He added, "I am sure that some African shamans will not allow Guardiola to win the Champions League... This will be Guardiola’s African curse that will haunt him forever."
He claimed that "ending Toure's career at Manchester City at Guardiola's hands is not a simple mistake, but a crime, and it will return to harm him later." Seluk returned to warn of the "African shamans," vowing that the world would see their ability to impact Guardiola's career.
Football fans remember the story of the "African curse" every time Guardiola fails to secure the Champions League title. Since winning the prestigious trophy twice with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011, Guardiola has failed to win it again with Bayern Munich and Manchester City.
