Toure plays down bust-up with Manu

LONDON: Kolo Toure has dismissed his training ground bust-up with Manchester City team-mate Em­­manuel Adebayor after the former Arsenal players had to be pulled apart during training.

Photographs published in several British newspapers yesterday showed the duo clashing on Tuesday – the day before City’s Premier League match against title rivals Arsenal at the Emirates.

The Times reported that the bust-up between Ivory Coast international Toure and Togo forward Adebayor stemmed from an “over-zealous tackle”.

But Toure said such disputes had been common when the duo were at Arsenal, the club both players left 18 months ago, telling The Sun: “We both lost it but it calmed down quickly. Other players and the manager came to separate us. It’s already forgotten.

“In any case, with Adebayor it’s not the first time and it won’t be the last. At Arsenal we often had a similar set-to. We know each other well, maybe too well.

“In any case that proves we have energy to burn; it’s not that negative.”