Coach Pep Guardiola chose Bernardo Silva as a new captain of Man City before the 2025/26 season. This may also be the last season at the Green Man of the Portuguese midfielder.
Coach Pep Guardiola often let players and staff vote AI will be the captain, but for the first time he decided to appoint Bernardo Silva himself – and the vice -Ruben Dias, Rodri and Erling Haaland.
This may be Silva's last season at Etihad, after he hinted that he would not renew the contract that would end in 2026. The 30 -year -old, who moved from Monaco in 2017, was rumored to return to his childhood team, Benfica.
“I know what I will do, but this is not the time to talk about it,” Bernardo Silva said. “I am focusing on my season. I want to focus on playing well for Man City and when it comes, I will talk about it. I have a year in the contract so I can leave next season. I have many options in the past and like last year, this year my choice is to stay in Man City,” the Portuguese player added.
Silva became the next captain of Man City after being elected to the staff of the team last season. The Portuguese player will replace the Kyle Walker teammate to become the new leader of the Green Man.
Kyle Walker was elected Captain Man City a year ago, and Guardiola revealed that he took an abnormal step when choosing the captain this summer, after witnessing what he “disliked” in the disappointing campaign of last season.
Walker moved to AC Milan on a loan in January, and although the Italian team decided not to sign a long -term contract, the British defender was eliminated from Man City's squad to attend the FIFA Club World Cup. Being deprived of the captain's armband can be considered as the end of Walker's career in the blue half of Manchester.
“For the first time in my career, I decided who would be the captain of the team,” coach Guardiola said. “I don't like what happened last season. Sometimes I want to become a decision maker and this season I will do that, so I chose 4 captains and at the end of this World Cup, we may choose one or two more.”
Besides, Haaland was first appointed as Deputy Man City. The Norwegian striker signed a 10 -year contract in January, and Guardiola said that someday Haaland could take on the captain's armband: “Erling Haaland is very young, but he must start learning the meaning of becoming captain, because he hopes he will be here a lot, many years later.
