Kolo considers quitting City over image rights row
Published 22:30 30/10/11 By Darren Lewis
Manchester City have launched a bizarre bid to take away £1.5million of Kolo Toure’s image rights in a bitter battle over his failed drugs test.
The stunned Ivory Coast defender has told friends he will consider leaving the club in January if they succeed at a hearing, due to take place later today, chaired by club executive Brian Marwood.
City first tried to fine the £120,000-a-week star around £500,000, but have now decided to go for Toure’s image rights, which are are worth 20-25 percent of his earnings. But there is incredulity among the City players that, with the club doing so well on the pitch, top brass would put themselves on collision course with another top player.
They’re also in dispute with Carlos Tevez.
Toure’s younger brother Yaya is also said to be angry at the debacle but it is understood manager Roberto Mancini has no involvement in the pursuit of the former Arsenal star.
The Toure camp say City’s stance represents a double standard since they supported the player during the legal process and disciplinary hearings with the FA, which ended with a six-month ban in May from the World Anti-Doping agency.
Toure, who returned to action in September, had failed a drug test after taking one of his wife’s slimming pills, containing a banned substance, to help control his weight.
No disciplinary action was taken by City at the time and he received his image rights payment as normal in August.
