Manchester City: captaincy could slip from Haaland, Enzo Maresca explains

As he prepares to kick off his first season at the helm of Manchester City, Enzo Maresca still has to finalize his leadership group.

When asked about the possibility of handing the armband to Norwegian international striker Erling Haaland, the Italian manager responded with a touch of humor. He took his time to recall a rule he used during his spells at Leicester and Chelsea.

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"When we scored, the captain had to come to the bench, instead of celebrating, to receive instructions. But if the captain scored, then he could celebrate. If Erling is captain, bloody hell, we've got a problem! Can you imagine?" Maresca told The Athletic.

With 52 appearances and 38 goals across all competitions in the 2025-2026 season, the Norwegian, who remains one of the key figures from the 2023 treble-winning squad, is still in the running to reclaim the armband.

Joshua SOSSOU

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As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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