The Portuguese midfielder has been chosen to address things that his manager “didn’t like”
Pep Guardiola has personally named Bernardo Silva as Manchester City’s new captain in a surprise break from tradition, because there were things that happened last season he “didn’t like”.
Throughout his time as a manager, Guardiola has used a democratic process to select the team captain, asking players and staff to vote their leader. But he took full control of the decision this summer after a poor campaign by their standards last season.
Alongside Silva who was handed the armband, Ruben Dias, Rodri and Erling Haaland have been appointed as vice-captains, rounding out a new leadership group the manager hopes will reinvigorate the squad for the 2025-26 season.
“I’m the manager this season. For the first time in my career, I decided who would be my captain,” Guardiola told reporters. “I didn’t like what happened last season. I decided this season.”
Both Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne have been club captain over the past year. But the Belgian has now left the club to join Napoli, while Walker, who spent the second half of last season on loan at AC Milan, has agreed a deal to join Everton for a year. Whether that move ends up being a loan deal or a permanent transfer is still undecided, but the defender is not expected to feature for City again since his contract expires in 2026.
In naming Silva as the new skipper, Guardiola has placed his trust in a player who has long been central to City’s tactical system and dressing-room culture. The 30-year-old has won six Premier League titles at the club since arriving from AS Monaco in 2017, alongside other honours.
Yet Silva has hinted that this could be his final season in Manchester.
“I know what I’m going to do, but it’s not the time to talk about that,” Silva told reporters. “I’m very focused on my season. I’m very focused on performing well for Man City. When the time is due I will talk about it.
“I have one year on my contract so obviously I can leave next season. This season will for sure be with Man City. I’m going to stay. I’ve had options in the past, like last year, and this year my option is to stay at Man City.”
Silva’s current deal expires in 2026, but he has been strongly linked with a return to Benfica, his boyhood club. Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have also expressed interest in the past.
Meanwhile, Guardiola’s inclusion of Haaland in the vice-captaincy group shows that he wants the 24-year-old striker to become one of the key leaders of the City squad in future. In January Haaland extended his contract by 10 years until 2035, showing that he sees himself at the club in the long term.
“Erling Haaland is so young, but he has to start to learn what it means to be a captain, because he will be here hopefully many, many years,” said Guardiola. “Sooner or later, he will take that position as the first one.”
