Pep Guardiola admits overruling Manchester City stars in decision over new club captain | OneFootball

Manchester City’s players had a decision taken for them by Pep Guardiola over the addition of a new club captain into the first-team leadership group.

The Premier League champions have undergone a re-shuffle within their leadership pack at the midway stage of the season, after back-to-back elected club captain Kyle Walker forced an exit from the Etihad Stadium.

The veteran defender is understood to have requested an immediate transfer away from the club during a discussion with sporting director Txiki Begiristain in early January, ultimately joining AC Milan on loan until the end of the campaign with an option to buy for the Italians.

As such, Manchester City were forced to promote a new full-time club captain, with the armband being taken up on a permanent basis by Kevin De Bruyne, and Ruben Dias being promoted into the vice-captaincy position.

But with that reshuffle also opened up a new position within Manchester City’s ‘leadership group’, which is usually selected prior to the campaign beginning and standing throughout the season. However, Pep Guardiola has taken matters into his own hands.

Speaking after City’s 4-0 win over Newcastle on Saturday afternoon, Pep Guardiola revealed he personally nominated Erling Haaland to become part of his first-team’s leadership group and one of the club captains following Kyle Walker’s exit in January.

And in light of that decision, Erling Haaland was named as team captain on the team-sheet for the visit of Eddie Howe’s side on Saturday afternoon given the names absent from the line-up and those named on the bench.

The City boss told reporters after the contest, “Erling (Haaland) has signed a 10-year contract with Manchester City, so I have the feeling about him as captain. I am really happy for him.”

It is only the second time that Erling Haaland has worn the Manchester City captain’s armband since joining the club from Borussia Dortmund in 2022, and the first time he has adopted the role in competitive action.

With Ruben Dias back in Manchester City training ahead of the mammoth UEFA Champions League clash with Real Madrid on Wednesday night, it would be expected that Haaland relinquishes captaincy duties at the Santiago Bernabeu this week.