Bernardo Silva stays at City as Guardiola hands captaincy to Portuguese star

Guardiola breaks tradition to name new captain

Bernardo Silva featured in 49 matches across all competitions in the 2024–25 season, scoring five and assisting four. These statistics show that Guardiola’s trust in him goes beyond on-field leadership and is also based on his technical ability.

With Manchester City implementing a captaincy change for the new season, Bernardo Silva has not only confirmed his stay but has also been named the team’s new captain. Following Kevin De Bruyne’s departure, the role had been temporarily assumed during the first half of last season by Kyle Walker. However, Walker was loaned to AC Milan for the second half of the campaign and is expected to leave the club permanently this summer.

In previous years, the captaincy was decided by a vote among the players. This time, however, manager Pep Guardiola made the decision himself. Guardiola appointed Bernardo Silva as City’s new captain, and the Portuguese star at the same time confirmed he would be staying at the club for the upcoming season.

Bernardo Silva confirms: “I’m staying”

“I know what I want to do in the long term, but now is not the time to talk about it,” Silva said. “I’m fully focused on this season. I want to perform well with Manchester City. We’ll talk when the time comes. I have one year left on my contract, so I might leave next season. But this season I’m definitely here, I’m staying. In the past I’ve had other options, this year too, but just like last season, I chose to stay at Manchester City.”

Walker exits, Haaland rises

Guardiola explained why he took the decision into his own hands this time, admitting to frustrations over last season and a desire to implement a significant change.

“This time, I’m the one making the call — for the first time in my career, I chose the captain myself,” Guardiola said. “I didn’t like what happened last season. That’s why I felt I needed to take more ownership of the team’s identity this year.”

He continued by clearly outlining the thinking behind his approach:

“There are times when you simply have to step in and lead. This season felt like one of them. I selected four captains. After the World Cup, maybe we’ll add one or two more.”

Erling Haaland was also included in the new leadership group. Guardiola expects the young star to gradually grow into the responsibility.

“First of all, he’s very young, but he now needs to learn what captaincy means,” Guardiola said. “I hope he stays for many years — and if he does, I’m sure he’ll grow into the role completely.”

Learning from Gündoğan and beyond

“He’ll be able to look to Bernardo, Rúben (Dias), and Rodri for guidance. Also, Ilkay Gündoğan, who led us during our treble-winning season, was an unforgettable captain. Haaland will learn from them.”

“Most importantly, he is hugely respected within the team. There’s no need to mention what he does on the pitch. But for me, what matters is this: when thinking about the future of this club, he must understand what captaincy means and prioritise the team’s well-being.”