KEVIN DE BRUYNE has been demoted from his role as Manchester City vice-captain for the 2021-22 season.

Fernandinho will continue as the Premier League champions' skipper for the new campaign having been given the armband 12 months ago following the departure of David Silva.

But De Bruyne, who was vice-captain for the 2020-21 season, has now dropped to fourth choice, according to The Telegraph.

Ilkay Gundogan has been promoted to the vice-captaincy role, with Ruben Dias now third choice.

Last season, Raheem Sterling had been selected as the third choice captain but he is not one of the four players who has been listed this time around.

Pep Guardiola has allowed his squad and staff to decide the captaincy roles since Vincent Kompany's departure two years ago.

Back in June, Fernandinho signed a new one-year deal with Man City to keep him at the club until next summer.

Guardiola's side have won the Premier League title in three of the last four seasons.

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They also reached the final of the Champions League in the 2020-21 campaign, before losing to Chelsea.

Meanwhile, Guardiola told a business conference in Brazil last month that he will take a break when his current contract expires in two years.

But when asked to clarify those comments, the former Barcelona chief said his answer had been misinterpreted.

He says he will have a sabbatical when his time at the Etihad is over – but has yet to decide when that will be.

He said: “I am so delighted to answer this. I am not thinking I’m going to leave after two years.

“I can leave after two months if the results are not good or the team and organisation is tired of me or I cannot handle these players.

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“I could leave in three months or I could leave in five years.

“What I said on the Zoom with the people with Brazil is after my period with City I will take a break. That’s for sure.

“But it can be in one month, in two years, three years four years, five years.”

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