"I'm glad Conte has left Napoli; in my opinion, he shouldn't have stayed," the Belgian international told Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad on 30/5. "I now realize how vital a team's playing style is to me. Football should be about dedication and openness, bringing joy, but unfortunately, I didn't find that last season. Before I came here, Napoli made promises and painted a picture of their playing identity, saying, 'we'll play this way, do this and that,' but then all those promises were broken."

Conte (right) speaks with De Bruyne during the Napoli – Olympiacos preseason friendly match on 14/8/2025, at Castel di Sangro stadium, Italy. Photo: AFP

Conte (right) speaks with De Bruyne during the Napoli – Olympiacos preseason friendly match on 14/8/2025, at Castel di Sangro stadium, Italy. Photo: AFP

After leaving Man City, De Bruyne joined Napoli on a free transfer in the summer of 2025, signing a two-year contract. His past season was not personally successful, as he only scored 5 goals and provided 4 assists across all competitions. The midfielder, born in 1991, also missed about four months due to a hamstring injury, from late October 2025 to early March 2026.

De Bruyne believes the past season could directly impact his future with the national team. "I still have one year left on my contract with Napoli, but I want to speak with the club first," he stated. "My future depends heavily on the team's upcoming strategy."

The 34-year-old player even blamed coach Conte, believing that a lack of common ground was the reason for his difficulties after returning from injury. "At the start of the season, and even when I first returned from injury, I maintained good form," De Bruyne added. "But Conte's footballing perspective is too different from mine. I don't want to beat around the bush; the truth is I was never played in my preferred position all season. The team played too pragmatically, leaning heavily towards defense. Scoring one goal per game with a 5-4-1 system is nothing to boast about. In fact, at the beginning of the season, the team often dropped back very deep. Just look at the fact that the team's top scorer only managed a meager 12 goals; it's truly poor. Statistics don't lie."

De Bruyne leaves the field after an injury during the Napoli – Inter Milan match on 26/10/2025, at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium, Naples, Italy. Photo: Reuters

De Bruyne leaves the field after an injury during the Napoli – Inter Milan match on 26/10/2025, at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium, Naples, Italy. Photo: Reuters

The following day, Conte's long-time right-hand man and top assistant at Napoli, Cristian Stellini, responded in the Italian newspaper Correire dello Sport: "If the club recruits such experienced players, they should at least set an example for the young players with their enthusiasm and passion for playing in an environment like Napoli. He didn't convey any joy or excitement to me. I wish him to find experiences that suit his desires in the future, perhaps even with the national team alongside coach Rudi Garcia."

Stellini also compared De Bruyne's contributions to another major star who moved to Serie A last summer, Luka Modric. "I was truly impressed with how Modric integrated at Milan," the 52-year-old assistant affirmed. "He motivates his teammates with leadership and passion, even when playing in a very pragmatic team. Modric never once criticized the management or the coach. Professionalism means knowing what you need to do to create the best possible working environment and demonstrating it by example!"

The root of the conflict

At the Maradona stadium, Conte and De Bruyne never found common ground, partly because the Belgian midfielder was brought in just as the coach, born in 1969, was considering his future. Therefore, Sporting Director Manna's decision to sign the midfielder was outside Conte's priorities.

In early April 2026, De Bruyne somewhat exposed the rift with his coach. When asked by a Gazzetta dello Sport reporter if Conte's methods were as harsh as rumored, he simply uttered one word after a polite smile: "Yes."

In the world of football, parties don't necessarily have to like each other to coexist harmoniously. However, they still need good results on the field to maintain mutual respect and tolerance. But the first spark of tension appeared during De Bruyne's return to his old home, Man City, in the Champions League. At that time, Napoli lost a player after only 21 minutes of play, and the 56-year-old coach decided to substitute the Belgian attacking star, disappointing many fans at the Etihad on his welcome day.

De Bruyne applauds as he is substituted during the 2025-2026 Champions League group stage match between Man City and Napoli on 19/9/2025, at the Etihad stadium, Manchester, England. Photo: AP

De Bruyne applauds as he is substituted during the 2025-2026 Champions League group stage match between Man City and Napoli on 19/9/2025, at the Etihad stadium, Manchester, England. Photo: AP

Less than two weeks later, De Bruyne could not stomach being substituted in the 1-2 loss to Milan at San Siro. Conte then bluntly confronted his player through the media: "I hope Kevin is upset about the match result, because if it's for any other reason, he's picked the wrong person to argue with."

After the 2-6 thrashing by PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands on 22/10/2025, the relationship between the two officially broke down. Backstage sources obtained by Gazzetta dello Sport revealed that during an emergency meeting after that match, while Conte was furiously "grilling" his players about their attitude, De Bruyne did not hesitate to retort that Napoli's problem was not with spirit, but with tactics.

The former Man City midfielder's outburst on 30/5 is seen as somewhat belated, coming after he was repeatedly benched in the final weeks of the past season.

This incident has led Italian media to predict that coach Massimiliano Allegri's work at Napoli will have to begin earlier than expected. Although he has not officially finalized his contract with Milan and has not yet signed the two-year agreement (with an extension clause) already agreed upon with President Laurentiis, Allegri is already facing his first difficult challenge: De Bruyne.

He had planned to make De Bruyne central to next season's playing style, similar to how he used Modric at San Siro. In the calculations of the strategist who has won Serie A six times, De Bruyne would play as an elegant "mezzala" (central midfielder), holding the key to the attack. But now, a storm is brewing on the horizon.

Coach Max Allegri during the AC Milan – Cagliari match on 24/5, at San Siro stadium, Milan, Italy. Photo: Reuters

Coach Max Allegri during the AC Milan – Cagliari match on 24/5, at San Siro stadium, Milan, Italy. Photo: Reuters

De Bruyne's chances of continuing to wear the Napoli shirt next season are now highly questionable. Furthermore, his salary is among the highest on the team, approximately 11,5 million USD before tax, plus 5,8 million USD in signing bonuses last summer, as per the agreement. This remuneration completely contradicts the club's austerity policy of reducing its wage bill, despite being reasonable for a free transfer.

When choosing Napoli, De Bruyne rejected financially more lucrative offers from Arab Saudi and especially from Major League Soccer (MLS). He wanted to continue competing in Europe and experience the atmosphere of Champions League nights. But above all, he wanted to be happy playing football, something he clearly did not achieve under Conte. Allegri is also a pragmatic coach and has never been known for beautiful football. The big question now is whether he can convince De Bruyne to stay with Napoli's project.

Hoang Thong compiled