Latest news with #Bernardo Silva
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Bernardo Silva reveals why he 'HATED' last season as he reveals Man City feel 'guilty' for their failures - and issues stern rallying cry to squad for new era
A couple of ceramic horses stand on the grand old oak table Bernardo Silva settles himself at, underneath a crystal chandelier inside one of Villa Tasca's 15 rooms. They're carrying huntsmen in a wing of this Sicilian mansion – available to the public for a mere €35,000 a week – where drawings of dead rabbits adorn the walls. Caught fish in nets for good measure, too. There is a theme to this space. Silva pulls up a pew in Palermo, the night before Manchester City 's final friendly of pre-season, to bear his soul in this setting of opulence. A gala dinner between City, Palermo and commercial partners is ongoing downstairs; Silva, as captain these days, has to pop his head in to say hello. But only once he makes it clear that City want to jump back on the horse, not hang as trophies for sport. Silva sounds like a man ready to hunt for the first time in a long time. City haven't had to do that since 2020, when they last went into a Premier League campaign without the crown. The scars of last season – at one point appearing only an outside bet to qualify for the Champions League - are still visible but Silva wants them to act as a reminder and motivation. The squad were weary last term, sounding like they had grown tired of each other to an extent. In those moments, the one win in 13 matches for a team who'd won a Treble 18 months earlier, you learn who will stand on the frontline. 'It's not about winning or losing, it's about competing for the title. We didn't even give it a try,' Silva says. 'I think emotional-wise we're definitely back. In terms of being hungry again, we're back. 'I hate losing. You need to be straightforward with your guys. I think the experience was good because first of all we learned how to appreciate what we did in the past, which is not normal. Six titles in seven is ridiculous. It's probably not going to happen again. 'There is a lot of… I would say guilt. Guilt in all the players, in the manager, in everyone, on not doing better to overcome this situation. We want things to go back to normality and normality at the club is fighting for every title.' Guardiola invited Silva to his office towards the end of the season, once skipper Kevin De Bruyne had announced his departure, to offer the Portuguese the armband from the Club World Cup onwards. This was a real statement, City's manager breaking his own rules over the captaincy. Players and staff have always voted for the leadership group. Not this time. Silva was handed it instead. He admits it felt a little weird, although his enduring popularity likely makes it a smart play. Silva then lists the captains he borrows facets of leadership from: Cristiano Ronaldo, Radamel Falcao, Fernandinho, Vincent Kompany, De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan. Downstairs, guests are venturing in off the lawns with their flutes, appetisers are coming out at dinner, held in the spot where the second series of HBO's White Lotus was filmed. A comedy-drama centred on flawed friends letting each other down. Sounds eerily familiar. Silva bemoans defensive injuries hampering City yet then appears to pinpoint areas for improvement. And they are areas you do not associate with a team of serial winners, who have seen ex-skipper Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish the biggest names to depart this summer. A new era dawns for City after previous captain Kevin De Bruyne departed for Napoli 'I think the biggest task, not just my task but of all the captains, is to create the right balance in the dressing room,' Silva says. 'I would say the right balance is good behaviour and respect in terms of arriving on time, in terms of performing well in training sessions, giving your best for the club. Don't take any shortcuts, don't try to cheat your job. 'You definitely learn who you can go to war with and who you can't in those moments. Hopefully it was a very good lesson for us.' Time will tell on that. What becomes clear is that Silva has no interest in messing about in this new role. Just as prickly, just as honest. Perhaps even more so. Aside from obvious genius since joining in 2017, he has owned cult hero status in the bars of Manchester for a long while – especially for his reaction to Liverpool's title four years ago. Holding that polystyrene cup during a guard of honour at the Etihad Stadium, refusing to clap. He ended up calling rival fans 'pathetic' and told them to 'read a book' when they flooded his social media after City were dumped out of Europe by Lyon a month later. It's probably a good job that City faced Arne Slot's side long before the last title was secured. 'It's not a tradition for me, in Portugal,' the 31-year-old says. 'I think that when I win a title, I don't need anyone else to clap for me. In a way, also my opinion, it's kind of a hypocrisy… but people, it's fine. If they want to do it, they can do it. I wasn't going to clap Liverpool because that's not how I celebrate defeat.'
New York Times
11-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan dilemma
In early April, Ilkay Gundogan triggered a one-year contract extension after reaching the threshold for the number of games needed to prolong his second stint at the Etihad. The clause had been negotiated in a way that meant only games in which he played at least a full half would count towards that total but, even at 34, the midfielder had no problem in racking up the numbers required. Advertisement On the home straight to Champions League qualification, manager Pep Guardiola leaned heavily on the players he trusted to get Manchester City over the line which meant Gundogan started nine of the final 11 Premier League matches — a record of seven wins and two draws. His contribution to the final-day victory over Fulham cannot be understated as he scored a bicycle kick and produced a roulette spin to win a penalty for the second goal. 21′ ⚽️ @IlkayGuendogan 72′ ⚽️ @ErlingHaaland Highlights from our @premierleague final day win at Fulham 👇 — Manchester City (@ManCity) May 25, 2025 However, his continued inclusion in the team had become a point of contention among the fan base along with other experienced players like Bernardo Silva, who has now been appointed captain, with some viewing the duo as symptomatic of City's loss of athleticism last season. Gundogan has never relied on his legs, though. He is a cerebral player and, at the Club World Cup, his diagonal runs into the box were a key feature of City's best attacking patterns. But with Guardiola on a mission to trim his squad down to a size that will not leave half a dozen spare parts every weekend, Gundogan has been one of the players whose future has been the subject of speculation. Galatasaray, his boyhood club, are an interested party. It is a club he would be open to playing for one day but Gundogan still believes he can feature at the very top level for years more. He publicly stated his desire to stay two weeks ago but with a raft of others also doing so, something has to give. Gundogan's situation will be one to monitor as he is valued by Guardiola and they have spoken about him becoming the Spaniard's assistant when he retires. He already has his UEFA B Coaching License in Germany — the A License is only possible if you are a working assistant — so having a football brain like his around as City attempt to recalibrate their style of play could be important. Advertisement It is why, as long as he feels he has a prominent role to play at City, Gundogan is likely to stay. But will the midfielder's preference be enough if a substantial offer comes in when City are struggling to move on other potential departures? Gundogan's almost blemish-free injury record over the past six years is part of the reasoning behind not wanting to drop down a level yet, an availability supported by lifestyle changes he has made to prolong his career. Towards the end of 2024, he started working with a nutritionist. He now has a personal chef who plans every meal for him — even during the short break between the end of the season and the Club World Cup — and has completely cut sugar out of his diet. The arrival of Tijjani Reijnders from Milan means the 'left eight' role is likely to be occupied by the Dutchman most weeks but, if Rodri needs months to get back up to speed following his ACL injury, it could mean the new signing drops back to holding midfielder and opens up the more advanced role for Gundogan. Guardiola has always preferred to rotate but City need to find a way to stop the counter-attacks that are proving to be their Achilles' heel. Can they do that with Silva and Gundogan in the middle of the pitch? It is a dilemma for Guardiola but consider Gundogan's profile against Mateo Kovacic and weigh up who is more disposable. With Rodri and Nico Gonzalez as holding midfielders, it feels like the Croatian may struggle for game time. City need to find a way of getting players apart from Erling Haaland into double figures in the goals column next season — and Gundogan has proven he can do that in three previous campaigns. The goals dried up last season but with a streamlined role, based on crashing into the penalty box and using his appreciation of space to combine in tight areas, he still has a unique skill set in the squad. Advertisement His return from Barcelona last summer, having only spent a single season in Spain after seven years in England, was a decision Guardiola led. During the crisis months of last season, Gundogan was a considered voice in Guardiola's policy of opening the floor to the room for solutions. Gundogan played an important role in those final weeks of the season as City found their feet again. It would feel like a big loss of experience if he were to follow Kevin De Bruyne out the door this summer but, with over 30 players on City's books, it seems naive to consider any player untouchable.
