Enzo Maresca has joked that Erling Haaland’s phenomenal goalscoring record could prevent him from becoming Manchester City’s new captain.
The Italian is preparing for his first season in charge at the Etihad after succeeding Pep Guardiola and must decide who will take the armband from Bernardo Silva.
Haaland would appear an obvious candidate given his status within the dressing room and remarkable achievements since joining City.
The Norway international has scored an astonishing 162 goals during four years at the club and already forms part of City’s leadership group alongside Ruben Dias and Rodri.
Yet it is precisely Haaland’s ability to find the net so frequently that could count against him.
Maresca operated an unusual system during his spells in charge of Leicester and Chelsea, requiring his captain to immediately approach the dugout whenever his team scored.
That allowed the manager to relay tactical instructions while the rest of the players celebrated.
“At Leicester and Chelsea, I had a rule that when we scored, the captain had to come to the bench not to celebrate for instructions,” Maresca explained.
Enzo Maresca has joked that Erling Haaland’s phenomenal goalscoring record could prevent him from becoming Manchester City’s new captain
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“But if he scores, then he can celebrate.
“So if Erling is the captain, we have a problem, f**king hell, can you imagine?”
Dias is therefore expected to emerge as the leading contender to become City’s next permanent skipper.
Maresca has already provided a glimpse of how his system could work after the Portuguese defender headed towards the technical area following City’s opening goal in their latest fixture.
Erling Haaland has already scored 162 goals for Man City
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“If you saw the game on Wednesday, when we scored the first goal, Ruben came over to the bench,” he added.
“I think even if it is two or three minutes, there is always something to adjust.”
Maresca intends to personally select his leadership group, with Haaland, Dias and Rodri currently among the senior figures.
However, uncertainty surrounds Rodri’s future amid interest from Barcelona.
The City boss also wants at least one English player included in the group, potentially opening the door for Phil Foden.
“At the moment, we have three or four captains and we are missing one. In the case of Rodri, see what happens,” Maresca said.
His return to Manchester has reunited him with several players he previously worked alongside when serving on Guardiola’s coaching staff during City’s Treble-winning 2022/23 campaign.
Enzo Maresca is hopeful of building a dynasty at Man City following Pep Guardiola’s departure
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Maresca revealed Haaland was among the first players to contact him after his appointment was confirmed.
“Erling was one of the first to send a message when I joined the club,” he said.
“Now there is Phil, Ruben, Erling, Rodri and Rico Lewis from the Treble.
“Jack (Grealish) too. And I was still in contact with them.
“The squad has completely changed. It’s been very quick.”
