
Kevin De Bruyne made his much-anticipated debut for Napoli connected Tuesday day arsenic they came up against Serie C broadside Arezzo, though it was hardly the astir memorable of performances from Antonio Conte's side.
The 33-year-old midfielder bid an affectional farewell to Manchester City this summer aft 10 trophy-laden years.
De Bruyne, who won six Premier League titles astatine City, arsenic good arsenic 5 League Cups, 2 FA Cups and a Champions League, was heavy linked with a determination to Saudi Arabia, and even engaged successful "serious" and "positive" talks to articulation Neom SC.
But the Belgian opted to proceed his vocation successful Europe with reigning Serie A champions Napoli, who person allowed De Bruyne to bid wearing Diego Maradona’s iconic No 10 successful caller days.
Asked astir wearing Maradona’s number, helium said: “I would accidental I was a spot amazed successful the beginning. Because evidently I cognize that the fig was retired. But successful different way, it’s an honour. It’s an honour from the squad and from the nine to springiness maine this responsibility."


It has been a whirlwind fewer days for De Bruyne, but helium and the remainder of his teammates were brought backmost down to world connected Tuesday arsenic they began their 2025/26 run with a astonishment 2–0 decision against third-tier broadside Arezzo.
De Bruyne was named successful Conte's starting line-up for the pre-season clash alongside chap debutants Noa Lang and Lorenzo Lucca, and combined good with Alessandro Zanoli connected a fig of occasions, blazing wide twice.
A lucifer study from Italian outlet GOAL commented connected De Bruyne's show arsenic they described a archetypal fractional characterised by "a dilatory pace" and "few noteworthy corporate plays."
They added: "The Belgian inactive recovered a mode to pb the complaint arsenic champion helium could, yet adapting to a crippled that was inactive acold from fluid and needed further investigating to instrumentality to the levels we've travel to know. In short, there's plentifulness of clip to spot what's better."
Here's however fans connected societal media reacted to Napoli's archetypal decision of pre-season.
One said: "Not the champion debut for Kevin De Bruyne," portion different commented: "Anyway, I'm present to corroborate that we can't play shot without Scott McTominay." A 3rd added: "Not the commencement De Bruyne wanted."
De Bruyne opens up connected world of being a escaped cause aft Manchester City departure
Speaking successful a caller interview, the 34-year-old gave a fascinating penetration into what it was similar to beryllium without a club.
“It’s the archetypal clip I’ve been successful a concern wherever I was (a) escaped (agent) — I’ve ever had a contract,” helium said, arsenic per The Athletic. “So it was ever casual for maine [previously]. Every summer, I was conscionable easy. I was good.
“The longer the (2024-25) play went connected with thing going on, it was a spot stressful, due to the fact that it’s a precise caller situation.
“But past evidently Napoli came, immoderate different teams came, and they presented their projects, and past I deliberation determination was a batch of quality successful the projects. It was lifestyle, it was competitiveness, each antithetic types (of considerations).
“And the Napoli task for maine was each astir the champion enactment for me. Because obviously, I deliberation the main happening is (the club’s) competitiveness.
“But past evidently the lifestyle, the prima – it’s precise antithetic than what I utilized to, but I’m inactive a shot subordinate I’m precise competitive, and I deliberation I’m inactive capable to execute astatine a bully level.
“So arsenic agelong arsenic I’m playing football, I privation to get the astir retired of myself. And erstwhile a time volition travel that I consciousness I’m not capable to bash it, and possibly I volition marque different decision, but present we are 34, I inactive consciousness I’m capable to get a bully level connected myself, and I’m present to beryllium that I tin bash that.”