Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola "is allowing his ego to make decisions" and is merely freezing out Yaya Toure to gain revenge, according to the player's agent Dimitri Seluk.
The 33-year-old has featured just once for the Citizens this term and has been told by his manager that he will not play again unless his representative apologises for critical comments made in the past.
Seluk's long-running dispute with Guardiola has shown no signs of thawing in recent weeks, with the Ukrainian now adding more fuel to the fire by claiming that the former Barcelona boss is not interested in an apology and is instead now making things personal.
"My idea was to talk man-to-man, to find out how we can move things forward for the best interests of Manchester City and Yaya," he is quoted as saying by ESPN. "All I got was silence. So it must be clear to everyone that Pep isn't looking for an apology.
"It is about him turning [owner] Sheikh Mansour and the City fans against a player who loves the club. Pep is allowing his ego to make decisions that aren't in the best interests of Manchester City. I know what his problem is. When Pep forced Yaya out of Barcelona I criticised him.
"This is his revenge. And it is personal, not professional. I asked City in the summer if they wanted Yaya to leave and was told that he was part of the plan. It is now clear that wasn't the truth. I think the plan was to humiliate Yaya - and all the other players who have made history for Manchester City in the last six years.
"Yaya isn't the only one. [Joe] Hart and [Samir] Nasri have also paid because they are big personalities. Pep doesn't want to work with men. He wants to work with players who are very young because he can control them like children. Pep smiles at you. He makes you believe he is your best friend - and then he betrays you."
Toure's only run-out for the Citizens this term came during the 1-0 win over Steaua Bucuresti in the Champions League playoff round.
Daniel Lewis
