Captain's call: Maresca set to end Guardiola's dressing-room vote
Enzo Maresca is preparing to scrap one of Pep Guardiola's longest-standing traditions, with the new City boss reportedly set to handpick the club's next captain himself.
Under Guardiola, the squad were allowed to choose their own leadership group for the better part of a decade. That democratic ritual, which handed the armband to a player endorsed by his peers, is now set to be replaced by a more direct approach.
According to reports, the decision will no longer be left to a player vote. Instead, Maresca will make the call himself.
It is a quiet but significant shift in how City will be run. Where Guardiola trusted the dressing room to police itself, his successor appears ready to take personal ownership of one of the most symbolic roles in the squad.
The timing is notable. With several senior figures having departed over the summer, the next skipper will inherit a team very much in transition. Handpicking that figure is a statement of intent from a manager determined to shape the side in his own image.
Whether Maresca already has a candidate in mind remains unclear. What is certain is that the vote is gone — and the decision now rests with one man.