Man City next captain: Enzo Maresca reveals "major problem" of appointing Erling Haaland

By Seye Omidiora | 11 Aug 2026 18:32, Last updated: 11 Aug 2026 18:32

Manchester City brag Enzo Maresca is presently tasked with appointing a caller nine skipper pursuing the departure of Bernardo Silva this summer.

The Italian caput manager precocious arrived astatine the Etihad Stadium to win Pep Guardiola and is actively restructuring the enactment hierarchy up of the caller campaign.

The existing enactment committee presently consists of Ruben Dias, Erling Haaland and Rodri, though the second faces an uncertain future.

The Spanish midfielder has precocious been the taxable of a failed transportation bid from Barcelona arsenic European rivals effort to capitalise connected the transitional play successful Manchester.

Maresca is determined to found a reliable captaincy radical and reportedly wants to see a homegrown subordinate to capable the existent vacancy.

Maresca reveals "problem" with imaginable Haaland captaincy

Maresca has seemingly ruled retired the anticipation of handing the authoritative armband to Haaland.

The Italian revealed that helium operates with a strict tactical regularisation which requires his skipper to attack the touchline for instructions whenever the squad scores a goal.

Given the phenomenal scoring complaint of the Norwegian international, Maresca joked that implementing this circumstantial directive with the striker would beryllium wholly impractical.

"If Erling is the captain, we person a problem, tin you imagine? If you saw the crippled [against K-League XI] connected Wednesday, erstwhile we scored the archetypal goal, Ruben came implicit to the bench," said the Man City brag via BBC Sport.

The Italian was inactive speedy to praise the quality of the 26-year-old by revealing helium was 1 of the archetypal players to nonstop a welcoming connection upon his arrival.

The prolific guardant volition truthful stay an integral portion of the elder enactment radical contempt missing retired connected the superior role.

Will Ruben Dias instrumentality the Manchester City armband?

Portuguese defender Dias presently appears to beryllium the overwhelming favourite to inherit the superior enactment responsibilities.

Despite acknowledging Rodri's enactment of the team, the City brag besides formed further uncertainty implicit the contiguous aboriginal of the Spanish midfielder. 

"At the moment, we person 3 oregon 4 [in the enactment group] and we are missing one,"said Maresca. "In the lawsuit of Rodri, spot what happens."

Man City instrumentality connected Arsenal successful the Community Shield connected Sunday, seeking occurrence successful the English shot season's curtain-raiser astatine the Premier League champions' expense.