Four armbands to fill Rodri’s boots
Enzo Maresca has made his call ahead of Coventry’s visit to the Etihad Stadium. Manchester City will operate this season with four captains: Rúben Dias, Erling Haaland, Marc Guéhi and Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Rodri’s exit left a hole, symbolic as well as sporting. Rather than hand the job to one man, the Italian coach has spread the responsibility across several shoulders.
The first two names pick themselves. Dias arrived in 2020 and remains the leader of City’s defence. Haaland has spearheaded the attack since 2022 and carries serious weight in the dressing room, not just in the opposition box.
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Guéhi and Donnarumma are the real surprises
The other two appointments were far less expected. Guéhi and Donnarumma only joined City recently, yet staff already see them as key figures. That says plenty about how Maresca reads his squad. Time served is no longer enough on its own.
Donnarumma is the one that stands out. A goalkeeper as captain is still a rarity in the Premier League, where the armband tends to go to an outfield player. The move shows the faith placed in a keeper signed to steady a position that has caused plenty of debate at the Etihad.
Guéhi, meanwhile, has been handed a status he has never won this quickly anywhere else.
Enzo Fernandez left out of the four, but not cast aside
One question had to come up. What about Enzo Fernandez? A major summer signing, the Argentine was not included. Maresca was blunt: “No, the captains are Ruben, Erling, Marc Guehi and Gianluigi Donnarumma.”
The coach quickly brushed away any talk of a problem with his integration. “He is a winner and when you are part of a squad and another player who wins arrives, they are always happy,” he said. He also described his midfielder as “ready”, opening the door to a debut against Coventry.
City spent more than 500 million euros this summer as they rebuild for life after Guardiola. Dressing-room hierarchy, though, is earned, not announced. Maresca has just drawn the first lines.
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