Manchester City leadership group create new training ground hierarchy ‘based on status and longevity’

The five-man leadership group within Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City squad has created a new training ground car park hierarchy, according to reports.

Kyle Walker became Manchester City’s new club captain at the start of the season, after a vote took place within the first-team squad to decide upon who would succeed their Treble-winning leader Ilkay Gundogan into the new campaign.

The German midfielder brought an end to an illustrious spell with Manchester City at the end of last season, following up his Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League success with a move to FC Barcelona on a free transfer.

Alongside Walker in Manchester City’s newly-appointed leadership group for the ongoing season stands Kevin De Bruyne, who is the first-team squad’s vice-captain, accompanied by Ruben Dias, Rodri, and Bernardo Silva.

And it is now understood that as a collective, a new scheme has been put in place that showcases commitment to the club and status within the first-team through the form of a car parking arrangement at the City Football Academy.

That is according to the information of Jack Gaughan, writing in the latest edition of MailSport’s Man City Notebook, who reveals that City’s leadership group have changed the car parking order at the club’s training ground.

It is detailed that there is now a more ‘regimented’ order to the car park at the City Football Academy, with specific spots for Manchester City’s players ‘based on their status and longevity’ at the Etihad Stadium.

Every member of City’s first-team squad has their own numbered bay, with the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Matheus Nunes and Jeremy Doku – all of whom were signed just last summer – are further away from the entrance than those who have been with the club longer.

MailSport does however point out that Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is ‘safe’ from the new system.

Manchester City’s training ground is a busy set-up these days, with the Premier League champions hard at work in continuing their pursuit of a fourth successive English top-flight title in the weeks that remain this season.

The City Football Academy is also home to Manchester City’s entire youth academy set-up, as well as the women’s teams who play their home matches on the same site, with the Academy Stadium housing 7,000 spectators overall.

There is a feeling in some quarters that further expansion of the training facility in the coming years could be eyed, while the club have confirmed they have submitted a planning application to the Council for the development of a purpose-built training facility for the women’s team.