"The only thing I could do": Return of "King Kev" ends abruptly
Kevin De Bruyne received a warm welcome from City fans upon his return to Manchester. His early substitution for tactical reasons, which his coach described as the "only option," seemed all the more cold-hearted.
Antonio Conte took Kevin De Bruyne off after just 26 minutes on his return to Manchester. IMAGO/Offside Sports Photography
They had rolled out the sky-blue carpet for him. Kevin De Bruyne returned to Manchester City's Etihad Stadium on Thursday evening, his home for ten years. Between 2015 and 2025, the Belgian made 442 appearances in all competitions for the Sky Blues, scoring 108 goals and providing 170 assists. City won 16 titles under the midfielder's leadership, including six league titles and the coveted trophy.
However, De Bruyne's contract was not renewed in the summer, and he moved to Italian champions Napoli at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. And with the Gli Azzurri, he was back for the start of the new Champions League season. When De Bruyne came onto the pitch in the off-white for the warm-up, he was greeted by the Citizens with enthusiasm and adoring chants. At kickoff, the home fans even presented a banner of "King Kev": De Bruyne holding a scepter and the English royal crown.
The Belgian even caught the eye on the pitch once, a fine diagonal ball across half the pitch receiving a murmur of appreciation from the City fans. Then, disaster struck. Giovanni di Lorenzo was sent off for a late tackle in the 21st minute. Napoli coach Antonio Conte needed a new full-back – and sacrificed De Bruyne, of all people, to his tactical considerations. After just 26 minutes, the Belgian trudged off the pitch with his head hanging low. At least the City fans gave their former hero a standing ovation.
"It was honestly the only option that made sense," Conte emphasized to English broadcaster TNT Sports . With nine outfield players, Napoli huddled in their own penalty area; a skilled technician with no penchant for working off the ball like De Bruyne was no longer in demand in the new system. "I felt really sorry for him because it was against his old team," Conte continued. "But Kevin understood that it was the only thing I could do."
The Italian said the task was "impossible" for his team when they were outnumbered, but he was nevertheless pleased with his team's morale: "With 10 men, we were really good defensively. The attitude was good; we suffered together. And I think we could have seen a different game if it had been 11 against 11." Admittedly, Napoli failed to put anything forward for the entire 70 minutes, and the southern Italians managed a single shot on goal.
Statue planned in front of the Etihad StadiumThe unifying element of De Bruyne was simply missing. The Belgian himself didn't want to speak during his unfortunate return, but after the final whistle, he did take a lap of honor with his former teammates, saying goodbye to the Sky Blues fans, who sang their affection to him.
"I can't thank him enough for what he's done for City. And for the trophies he's helped us win," City homegrown player Phil Foden joined in the tribute to "King Kev." "He will always be a legend here!" One who will likely soon be immortalized with his own statue in front of the Etihad Stadium. The sky-blue carpet, of course.
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