Departing City skipper Silva calls on new generation

LONDON — Bernardo Silva believes it is time for a new generation to take the lead at Manchester City.

The 31-year-old City captain will leave the Etihad Stadium after nine trophy-laden years when his contract expires at the end of the current season.

Tuesday's 1-1 draw at Bournemouth ended City's bid to win the Premier League title, with Arsenal crowned champion as a result, but the club has won both the League Cup and FA Cup this season.

In a farewell interview with the club's website, Silva thanked City manager Pep Guardiola and said the side had been unlucky not to win more Champions League titles.

"It's never enough, but I feel that we won a lot, our generation," said Silva. "I feel that, also, it's time for these young guys to have their moment.

"And, for me personally, it's an opportunity to be a bit closer to my family... Even though I love the football club and I loved the nine years here, I feel it's the right moment for me to have a new challenge in my life — it's going to be good."

The Portugal midfielder has made 459 appearances for City in total, scoring 76 goals, since joining from Monaco in 2017.

He has won 15 major trophies with the club, including four successive Premier League titles from 2021-24, the treble featuring the Champions League in 2023 and all four domestic trophies in the 2018-19 season.

"Even though the Champions League adds something special to it, to win a domestic quadruple was really tough, especially against that Liverpool team," said Silva.

"But, if I have to choose one, I think the treble because the Champions League for this club — the only one that we won, it edges it a little bit."

Widespread reports have said that Guardiola will stand down after City's final game at home to Aston Villa on Sunday. Silva said Guardiola had been his "idol" long before he arrived in Manchester.

"Way before I joined Man City, Pep, for me, was always an inspiration," Silva said. "Because when he was training Barcelona, that team with the small guys, with Xavi, (Andres) Iniesta, (Lionel) Messi, Pedro, I was, at the time, at Benfica, in my academy years, where I didn't play because they thought that I wasn't big enough, that I wasn't strong enough.

"And I looked at that (Barcelona) team and thought, 'these guys, they're also not big, they're also not strong. If they can do it, maybe one day I can do it'.

"So, Pep's team was always an inspiration for me, and then to join the club and to be able to be with him nine years, and to be a part of this success, it's fantastic."

Guardiola said his team had suffered from tiredness in the draw to Bournemouth that ended City's title bid, three days after beating Chelsea in the FA Cup final to complete a domestic cup double.

"I would have loved to have arrived at the last moment, you know, but, today, the fatigue was there," he added.

His departure would bring to an end to one of the most successful managerial reigns in English soccer.

Since his appointment in 2016, City has won 20 trophies including six Premier League titles and the Champions League.

Guardiola's former assistant Enzo Maresca is understood to have been lined up to replace him, having been out of work since leaving Chelsea at the start of the year.