According to reports, Ex-Manchester City star Fernandinho is said to have been offered a new coaching role back at the club.
The former captain and club legend is said to have been contacted directly by both Pep Guardiola and Txiki Begiristain regarding the job.
As per independent outlet and dedicated fan site CityXtra, Guardiola has invited Fernandinho to join his senior coaching staff, with the club’s outgoing football director formalising the offer.
It is yet unclear as to whether the Brazilian box-to-box midfielder turned deep-lying playmaker has accepted the proposal at this time, but it is believed he would become “an assistant coach in the Catalan’s first-team staffing structure.”
EXCLUSIVO: Fernandinho recebeu uma proposta do Manchester City para integrar a comissão técnica do clube.
EXCLUSIVE: Fernandinho has received a proposal to join the Manchester City coaching staff.
Having recently graduated from a club management course at FIFA back in January 2025 – earning him the qualification to work with teams in a professional backroom capacity – he is one of several recently retired City players who have pursued coaching badges, including Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta.
ADVERTISEMENT
As a key cog in the middle of the park at the Etihad for many years, playing an integral part in what made those early Pep teams tick as they do with Rodri now the linchpin in the squad, you would assume the 39-year-old’s football intelligence would be an excellent addition to the first-team set-up.
To reinforce the veracity of these reports, speaking in a recent clip from the City Studios exclusive documentary, Life After Football, Fernandinho said: “I miss them, they miss me and, sometime soon, we’re going to be together.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Whether or not he was referring to this role in particular, only time will tell, but logic would dictate he’s looking to get first-team coaching experience rather than simply returning as an ambassador for instance.
Although exact details are still scarce and we have no indication of what stage discussions are currently at, the consensus from the supporters seems to be that it’s pretty much a no-brainer.
Fernandinho on the #ManCity fans: “I miss them, they miss me and sometime soon we’re going to be together…” 🩵 pic.twitter.com/J90lt9hOmA
Fernandinho only just retired at the end of 2024 after his time at Athletico Paranaense back in his home country came to an end.
ADVERTISEMENT
While he may have been forced to change his playing style as he got older, in his prime he was still one of Man City’s best and most important players for a very long time, not to mention a standout in the Premier League full stop.
Making 383 appearances for the Blues, registering 26 goals and 29 assists from defensive midfield as he went on to win 14 trophies during his time in Manchester, Fernandinho is a City legend without question and we’d be surprised if anyone around the club wouldn’t like to seem his return in a coaching capacity.
Put it this way, if he does accept the opportunity, his knowledge and experience could prove crucial ahead of a tournament that is now bigger than ever this summer…
Erling Haaland has named his four favourite films… and fans have a lot to say on it
Emily Sergeant
Erling Haaland has answered the all-important question.
The question heard around the world, the question on everyone’s lips, a question that has absolutely nothing to do with football whatsoever… that’s right, he’s answered Letterboxd’s famous question of ‘what are your four favourite films?’.
If you’re unaware of what Letterboxd is, it describes itself as being an ‘online diary platform and app for film lovers’ and it gives users the chance to display their four favourite films at the top of their profile for all to see (and judge).
An extension of this has then been Letterboxd asking celebrities in press junket interviews and on red carpets what their ‘four faves’ are – and it’s gone on to become something of a phenomenon in the film world.
Everyone from massive A-list movie stars, to indie darlings and up-and-coming names have answered this question before, and now (it appears) to be Erling Haaland’s turn.
He’s not the first footballer to be tasked with question though, as the entire Spurs team was ambushed with it by former player – and famously massive cinephile – Alfie Whiteman last year, but it’s fair to say that after the summer he’s had with Norway at the World Cup, achieving international fame in the process, that Haaland is one of the most high-profile to answer it in a long while.
So, what’s on Erling’s list then?
Well, to self-confessed ‘film bros’ out there, you’re not going to find any deep cuts in this selection unfortunately, and you’re probably not going to get any recommendations for movies you haven’t seen before either, but come on, he is only a footballer after all.
Erling Haaland has named his four favourite films… and fans have a lot to say on it / Credit: Letterboxd
First up for the Manchester City striker is a pretty common pick by straight white men, it’s The Wolf of Wall Street, and he doesn’t give much of a reason for it, other than just suggesting: “I think you understand why”.
He then follows that up with Ridley Scott’s classic Gladiator, calling it ‘amazing’, before naming 2004’s epic Troy, and then rounding it out with a Christmas favourite for many, Home Alone, adding that he ‘watched it a lot as a kid, and then again now’.
As for fan reaction to Haaland’s four favourites, let’s just say it’s been mixed.
Among the 1,000+ comments on the Instagram video, you’ll find just as many people called him ‘king’ and saying he has ‘goated’ taste, as you will comments like this: “He has the most male gazed top four in history of Letterboxd.”
Manchester City reveal world-first third kit… designed by AI
Daisy Jackson
Manchester City have just revealed the club’s third kit for the season, and it’s a world-first AI-designed kit.
The new Man City and Puma kit was revealed in full this morning after days of teasing on billboards across Manchester.
For the first time in professional football history, the kit is designed by a fan, using AI.
180,000 fans submitted designs through the Puma AI Creator, with the winning design now projected on some of the city’s biggest digital billboards – on Market Street, and at Printworks.
Created by lifelong Cityzen and stills photographer Elliott, the final design is inspired by Manchester City’s iconic 13/14 season away shirt.
Elliott’s creative interpretation was crowned in January 2025 after a global fan vote.
The digital billboards show each different stage of the AI design process, from prompt to finished design, with the tagline ‘designed by one of us, chosen by all of us’.
The AI Man City kit reveal
Eagle-eyed Man City fans may have noticed a cryptic ‘loading’ screen in town on Tuesday, with just a hint of the shirt visible.
Then on Wednesday, the screens displayed: “AI prompt accepted. Fan vote confirmed. Final Manchester City 26/27 Third Kit design processing.”
Then the full reveal has taken place today, Thursday 27 August, finally unveiling the full shirt with the words: “Designed by one of us. Chosen by all of us”.
Reacting to live images of the billboards, Elliott said: “Seeing my complete design revealed on billboards in the city centre this morning was unbelievable.
“City has been part of our family’s life for as long as I can remember, so this is as good as it gets for me.
“Creativity is naturally part of my everyday life as a photographer, but it was good to turn my hand to something else and see what could be created with the use of AI.
“The 13/14 away shirt was always my favourite, so it felt like the natural starting point for my prompt. From there, it was amazing to see the technology take that spark of an idea and turn it into something I could actually shape and refine.
“To know that a shirt I designed on my lunch break will now be worn by the players is something I still can’t quite get my head around!”
The 26/27 Manchester City Third Kit will be available at mancity.com/shop and Manchester City Official Stores, with 10% off for Members and Seasoncard holders (automatically applied when logged in with a Member account online).
Danny Jones -
7th March 2025 
