Kevin De Bruyne’s return to the Etihad with Napoli remains a sore point for the Belgian star. According to former Napoli striker Roberto Carlos Sosa, De Bruyne has yet to come to terms with being substituted by Antonio Conte just 20 minutes into the match against Manchester City.
This match was meant to be significant for De Bruyne, a player who spent ten years at Manchester City. The fans warmly welcomed their former hero, chanting his name during the warm-up and even after the unexpected substitution.
However, everything took a turn after Giovanni Di Lorenzo was sent off for a foul on Erling Haaland. With Napoli down to ten men, they had to adjust their tactics, and it was De Bruyne who Conte decided to sacrifice.
A year later, it’s clear that De Bruyne still grapples with the disappointment of that moment.
Sosa shared his insights during a recent interview with Area Napoli:
“While celebrating the club’s centenary, I managed to speak with Kevin and take a photo with him and my son. I praised him for his performances under Conte during a difficult season, especially as he dealt with a serious injury.”
“Kevin told me he loves playing football, but he prefers a different style to what Napoli employed. The issue wasn’t with the club or the city; it was specifically Conte’s system. They never found common ground.”
Furthermore, Sosa dismissed any rumours suggesting De Bruyne was unhappy in Italy.
He asserted:
“De Bruyne has no issues with the city. He’s happy in Naples; otherwise, he wouldn’t have stayed.”
Sosa believes the crux of the tension lay in Conte's character, suggesting he made no exceptions, even for a player of De Bruyne’s caliber.
He elaborated:
“Last season, Conte wanted to show that he was the main star. Though De Bruyne had come to Naples to be a key player, he faced a coach who seemed to say, ‘You’re no different from a right-back to me.’”
This particular incident against his former club hit De Bruyne especially hard.
Sosa said:
“Kevin still feels the sting of that disappointment in Manchester when Conte replaced him just 20 minutes after Napoli went down to ten men. It was unfair to the fans. I want to defend Kevin because he is a special player.”
