Kevin De Bruyne has spoken openly about his debut season at Napoli, expressing his relief that head coach Antonio Conte has left the club. The Belgian star struggled to find his best form under the Italian manager's strict and defensive system. During his short time at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, the stylistic clash between a creative playmaker and a coach who prioritizes discipline was evident. This is reported by Goal.com .
The Belgian midfielder joined Napoli as a free agent in the summer of 2025, ending a historic ten-year career with Manchester City. In an interview with Het Nieuwsblad, he explained why he could not reach his usual high standards in his first year in Serie A. “To be honest, it was fine at the beginning, but Conte does not look at football the way I do; his views are completely different. There is no point in beating around the bush,” the player said.
De Bruyne was mainly unhappy with his position on the pitch and the team's overly defensive style of play. Because the former Chelsea and Tottenham manager preferred defensive solidity over creativity, Kevin made only 21 appearances across all competitions. Although injuries also hampered him, he managed to record 5 goals and 4 assists. However, the 34-year-old playmaker emphasized that he was not playing in his most effective position.
“We play very defensive football. If you play with a 5-4-1 formation in every game and score only one goal... that is not very good. At the beginning of the season, we defended too deep. Our top scorer has 10 goals; everything is visible from the statistics,” he added. Antonio Conte left the club at the end of the season, and De Bruyne did not hide his satisfaction with the change.
When asked about the coach's departure, Kevin De Bruyne gave an honest answer: “Am I happy that Conte left? For me, yes. I don't think his staying was necessary.” Now, the experienced midfielder hopes to prove himself under a new tactical direction.
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