Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has ruled out making Erling Haaland his first-choice captain, despite maintaining a strong relationship with the Norway international.
Maresca took over from Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium this summer and must now select a new captain following Bernardo Silva’s move to Real Madrid and Rodri’s expected transfer to Barcelona.
Although Haaland has remained in contact with Maresca since 2023, Ruben Dias is currently viewed as the leading candidate for the captaincy.
Explaining his decision, Maresca pointed to his preference for captains to come to the technical area during matches when instructions are needed.
“At Leicester and Chelsea, I had a rule that when we scored, the captain had to come to the bench for instructions,” Maresca told the Daily Mail.
“If Erling is the captain, f****** hell, we have a problem. Can you imagine?
“If you saw in the game here, Ruben (Dias) came over to the bench.”
