Yaya Touré criticizes referee after Slovan Bratislava draw

Slovan Bratislava manager Yaya Touré has heavily criticized German referee Felix Zwayer following a 1-1 draw against Slovenian side NK Celje in a Champions League play-off match.

The controversy centered on a late incident in stoppage time involving Slovan attacker Andraž Šporar. After being struck by defenders in the penalty area, the referee and VAR declined to award a penalty, a decision that drew intense protests from the home players and fans.

Touré expressed significant frustration, describing the officiating as “very, very negative and really bad.” He stated that the referee’s performance negatively impacted his players and argued that the official should have stayed out of the game rather than interfering with its flow through poor decisions. Touré added that he felt the referee himself was aware of the substandard performance during a post-match interaction.