Maresca rules out Haaland as Man City captain due to tactical rule

Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca has effectively ruled out striker Erling Haaland as his next permanent captain, citing an unusual tactical rule that would be impractical with the prolific goalscorer. The decision comes as Maresca, who succeeded Pep Guardiola this summer, works to fill the leadership void left by Bernardo Silva's departure to Real Madrid.

Maresca explained his reasoning during the squad's preseason tour of Asia, revealing a long-standing personal rule. "At Leicester and Chelsea, I had a rule that when we scored, the captain had to come to the bench for instructions and not celebrate," he told reporters. "But if he scores, then he can celebrate. If Erling is the captain, f hell we have a problem, can you imagine?"

The coach uses the brief pause after a goal to communicate tactical adjustments directly to his captain, who then relays them to the team. With Haaland having scored 162 goals in 198 appearances for City, this system would be frequently disrupted. Maresca noted that in a recent preseason match against a K League All-Stars XI, defender Ruben Dias fulfilled this duty after the first goal.

Haaland, 26, remains part of City's leadership group and was...