Ex-Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has accused manager Pep Guardiola of racially motivated treatment of him in their two seasons together.

Toure served as a key player for most of his eight years at City, but saw his playing time reduced when Guardiola was appointed ahead of the 2016 season. Their cold relationship plunged to new lows this season with the Ivory Coast international starting just one league game. Now he is speaking out against his former boss.

“He was cruel with me,” Toure told France Football, as reported by Yahoo.

“Do you really think he could’ve been like that with [Spanish midfielder] Andres Iniesta? It got to the point I asked myself if it was because of my color. I’m not the first; other Barca players asked the question too.”

Toure, 35, scored 20 goals in the 2013 season and made at least 37 appearances in each of his first six seasons with City. But he appeared in only 31 games in Guardiola’s first season and just 17 this past season, only one of them a start.

Toure insisted that, physically, he has not slipped, and that his reduced role was because Guardiola was “jealous,” and did “everything to spoil” his final season at the club.

Guardiola also managed Toure at Barcelona.

“I even asked coaches for my stats,” Toure said. “When I realized that they were as good or better, both in training and in matches, as those who played and were younger than me, I understood that it was not a question of physicality. I don’t know why, but I have the impression that he was jealous, he took me for a rival.”

Toure’s criticism of Guardiola comes after Cameroon international Samuel Eto’o said in 2014 that the coach disrespected him during his final season (2008-09) with Barcelona. Guardiola wanted to sell the striker even after he helped Barcelona secure the Champions League title in 2008.

“Maybe us Africans aren’t always treated the same by certain people,” Toure said. “When you see the problems [Pep] has often had with African players, everywhere he has been, I ask myself questions.”

Toure was previously linked with New York City FC, which are part of the City Football Group owned by Manchester City.

However, a stateside move now looks unlikely for the midfielder, who is no longer employed by City but intends to stay in England’s top flight.