Erling Haaland admits ‘difficulty’ in paying tribute to Bernardo Silva after confirmed Man City exit

Erling Haaland admits ‘difficulty’ in paying tribute to Bernardo Silva after confirmed Man City exit Erling Haaland has labelled Bernardo Silva as the most intelligent player he has ever worked with. Silva currently leaves a legacy of 19 major honours, including six Premier League titles. The duo turn their focus to a ‘title decider’ against Arsenal at the Etihad on Sunday.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has paid tribute to his teammate Bernardo Silva, after he confirmed he would be leaving the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season. The emotional announcement came on Thursday, with Silva taking to social media to confirm his nine-year tenure in Manchester will conclude this summer. The 31-year-old Portuguese international has arguably been the heartbeat of Pep Guardiola’s side since 2017, most recently captaining the club to their latest piece of silverware in the 2026 Carabao Cup.

His departure marks the end of an era for the ‘Centurions’ generation, leaving the club to navigate a significant leadership transition under the guidance of new sporting director Hugo Viana , and possibly even a new head coach. How Manchester City legends and current players have reacted to Bernardo Silva’s exit statement With the squad currently preparing for a pivotal Premier League showdown against Arsenal on Sunday, the news has added a layer of poignancy to the title race. City currently sit six points behind the Gunners with a game in hand, and the squad will be determined to ensure their captain departs with a seventh league winner’s medal.

Haaland breaks down Bernardo’s unique genius Speaking to Sky Sports News following Bernardo Silva’s statement on social media, Erling Haaland said of the current Manchester City captain, “He’s probably the smartest player I’ve ever played with because of the way he controls a game. ” The Norwegian striker continued, “To talk about his City career in the last nine years, it’s been crazy. “He has six Premier Leagues – look at this trophies – he won the Champions League, look how important he was for us in the Treble season, scored against Bayern [Munich], two [goals] against [Real] Madrid.