Guardiola Names Fernandinho As Man City’s New Captain
Pep Guardiola has named Fernandinho as Manchester City’s new captain ahead of their Premier League opener against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday.
Fernandinho takes over the armband from David Silva, who joined Spanish La Liga side Real Sociedad this summer after a decade in the blue half of Manchester. Silva himself took over as captain last season following Vincent Kompany’s exit.
Alongside Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero, Fernandinho was one of three vice-captains last season but will assume the role full time for the 2020/2021 season.
"He will be good [as a leader], as he always has been since I met him," Guardiola said of the 35-year-old Brazil international who joined City from Shakhtar Donetsk for £30million in 2013 and is out of contract next June.
"It doesn’t matter [whether or not Fernandinho has] the armband, he is always a guy who leads in the bad moments.
"We decided in the locker room, the players, the backroom staff, we decided that Fernandinho is captain and I am more than delighted with that."
A defensive midfielder by trade, Fernandinho made most of his 41 appearances in all competitions last season in the centre of defence due to City’s inability to replace Kompany and fitness issues for regular centre backs John Stones and Aymeric Laporte.
Although Guardiola has brought in Nathan Ake from Bournemouth this season, Fernandinho could continue in his makeshift role against Nuno Esperito Santo’s men on Monday as Laporte is lacking match fitness after recently recovering from coronavirus infection.
