Erling Haaland is one of the remaining key factors in the Man City squad that won the legendary treble in 2023. Previous captains such as Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva,... have all left the Etihad stadium.
In 10 seasons working at Man City, Pep Guardiola always had a rule of choosing captains based on the votes of the players. Before each season, he lets the players self-elect a leadership board. Whoever gets the most votes will be chosen as captain and usually 4 vice-captains. However, in the 2025-26 season (final), Pep has assigned Bernardo Silva to this responsibility.
After Bernardo Silva officially moved to Real Madrid, The Citizens' captain's armband is still vacant. The British media is currently choosing 2 candidates, Ruben Dias and Erling Haaland. With captain Enzo Maresca, he has not given any criteria and has no intention of who will take over.
In his years wearing the Man City shirt, Haaland showed outstanding maturity in ability and maturity. He first wore the Man City captain's armband in January 2025 (although not often), after signing an extension with the Manchester team. In the City squad, Haaland is the main striker and is expected to continue to score as many goals as in previous seasons. However, the 26-year-old star's many goals may again be a problem hindering him from wearing the captain's armband.
Enzo Maresca often takes advantage of the time when his team scores to quickly discuss tactics with the captain. He would not be able to do that if his star striker was just engrossed in celebrating goals.
At Leicester and Chelsea, I have a rule that when the home team scores, the captain must run back to the coaching bench to receive instructions instead of celebrating. If Haaland scores, it is normal for him to celebrate. However, if Haaland wears the captain's armband, we will have some disruption.
If you watch the match on Wednesday (the 3-1 victory over the K-League All Stars team), when we scored the opening goal, the person running to the technical area to listen to instructions was Ruben Dias. I always think that even if the time only lasts a few minutes, it is always valuable to adjust tactically. Currently, Man City has about 3-4 players capable of wearing the captain's armband. As for Rodri's case, just wait and see" - Enzo Maresca shared.
Currently, Enzo Maresca has not finalized who will be the official captain of Man City, but vice-captains may be gradually selected. The Italian coach wants to add an English player to the staff. Marc Guehi or Phil Foden are top candidates to join those ranks.
Previously under Pep Guardiola, the Spanish coach clearly classified the ranks of the vice-captains. When the captain could not play, the number 1 vice-captain would take on the responsibility of leader, followed by the number 2, 3, 4 vice-captains. As for Enzo Maresca, it is not yet known whether this rule will still be applied.
