Marekska: Haaland's Chances of Succeeding Bernardo Silva as Captain Are Slim

2026-08-12

According to Sky Sports Germany, Manchester City's new head coach, Marekska, maintains a close relationship with Haaland but believes the striker's chances of stepping into Bernardo Silva's captaincy role are very slim.

Marekska Clarifies Captaincy Rules

After the World Cup break, Haaland has returned to Manchester City for pre-season training. His standing in the team is highly regarded thanks to his outstanding performances and efficient goal-scoring, having played 198 official matches for City, netting 162 goals and providing 30 assists. However, his likelihood of replacing Bernardo Silva is low.

In a press conference, Marekska outlined his captaincy philosophy: “During my time at Leicester and Chelsea, I had a captaincy rule: when we score, the captain must return to the sidelines to receive instructions rather than celebrating. Of course, if the captain scores himself, he can celebrate.” He humorously added, “So if Erling is the captain, we might have a problem; can you imagine that?”

Ruben Dias a Likely Successor

Marekska made it clear that Haaland's goal-scoring prowess might hinder his ability to listen for instructions after a celebration. He pointed out, "Even if it’s just two or three minutes, adjustments are always needed." Therefore, it's highly likely that the successor to Guardiola will choose Dias as the new captain, as he tends to be more receptive to Marekska's instructions after scoring.

Dias has already worn the captain's armband in friendly matches against the K League All-Stars and Atletico Madrid, with City winning both games 3-1. Additionally, alongside Haaland, Rodri, and Dias, Phil Foden also has the opportunity to enter Marekska's new leadership group.