City are moving away from one of Pep Guardiola’s longest-standing traditions, with Enzo Maresca reportedly set to personally select the club’s next captain rather than leave the decision to a player vote.
Guardiola had allowed his squad to choose their own leadership group for the better part of a decade, a process that installed the likes of Fernandinho, Ilkay Gündogan and Kevin De Bruyne as captain over the years. Maresca is understood to be scrapping that approach entirely as he puts his own stamp on the dressing room following his arrival from Chelsea.
The vacancy stems from Bernardo Silva’s free transfer to Real Madrid this summer, which left City without a captain for the first time since Guardiola personally curated a four-man leadership group of Silva, Rúben Dias, Erling Haaland and Rodri last season.
Speaking after his first press conference in charge, Maresca confirmed no decision had been made.
“Not yet,” he said, when asked whether a successor to Silva had been identified. “We have, in this moment, I think three players with Ruben, Rodri, and Erling in the leadership group. Probably we need some more, because Bernardo left.”
Dias is considered the frontrunner given his standing within that existing group, though reports suggest Phil Foden is also pushing for a leadership role under the new manager, with academy graduate Marc Guéhi’s name mentioned too.
With the Community Shield against Arsenal in Cardiff just a week away, Maresca is running out of time to settle the question before City’s season kicks off in earnest — though there’s no suggestion he’s under any pressure to rush it.
Source: Yahoo Sports
