FC Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure paid tribute to his present coach Pep Guardiola, naming him as the person largely responsible for reinventing the Catalan side into the team that they have now become, and for all the success that they have achieved.

“Pep came and changed the psychology of the team. He treats everyone equally regardless of their role in the team and made us understand that no individual is privileged. Before he came, there were problems in the dressing room but as soon as Pep made us feel equal, he is like a breath of fresh air,” the Ivorian international said in an exclusive he gave to Russian sports website Sport.ru.

Asked if those problems were due to the presence of Deco and Ronaldinho, the player just nodded but still praised both players: “They are two great players and playing under Rijkaard was also a good and positive experience (for everyone).”

On the topic of the up-coming El Clasico, Toure only has good words for the Madrid side: “I try to watch all of their games, not to see if they’ll lose any points but to learn as much as I can about their game.

“Real Madrid is a very strong side. They have been ever since this season started, and Cristiano Ronaldo was the best player in the world two years ago, and would still be had it not been for Messi. They now have Xabi Alonso, a player who never loses his concentration and is a very important addition to the balance of the team. And they also have a good coach.

“We are playing in a very tough league and for both teams to get 74 points is just incredible. Last season everyone said we were the best team in the world, and yet now both Barca and Real Madrid have more points than what we achieved at this point last year.”

Toure also came out in defense of his teammate, Ukrainian defender Dmytro Chygrynskiy, whom he admitted he didn’t know of before his move to Barcelona: “This is the first time he was away from home and he still needs time to adapt himself. The first year is never easy.

“I was playing in the African Cup of Nations the day he was jeered in the match against Sevilla. As soon as I heard about it, I called him to give him my support. In Barca we are like a family and we all work together for the sake of the group,” he said proudly.

Finally referring to the complaints about his lack of playing times that he and his agent (Dmitri Seluk) made towards the end of last year, Toure reiterated: “Like any 24 or 25-year-old football player I always want to play and do not like being benched. Dmitri knows this and only wants what’s best for me, but as I have always said I am playing for the best club in the world and I want to stay here for as long as I can.

“I don’t want to change Barca for any other team and I understand that there are other good quality players vying for my position. It is not always possible to hold on to your place forever, (but in Barcelona) rest assured, even when you are not at your best, you will always get to play.”