Manchester City legend and one of the greatest midfielders of his era, Kevin De Bruyne, has made a breathtaking switch to Italian champions Napoli, bringing to an end his mythological decade-long relationship with Manchester City. The Belgian genius joins Italy on a free transfer, making the sacrifice of rejecting a fat bid from MLS outfit Chicago Fire in order to continue his Champions League adventure at the pinnacle of the game. True to Neapolitan style, Napoli introduced their headline signing in a dramatic computer-generated shot of De Bruyne sitting on a throne, dressed in royal blue and capped with a crown captioned apropo, “King Kev is here.”
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Antonio Conte to Coach Kevin De Bruyne in Naples
The 33-year-old will now be handled by Antonio Conte, the passionate coach and ex-Chelsea and Spurs manager, freshly appointed Napoli head coach. The pair will look to follow up Napoli’s stunning Serie A title win last season, when they pipped bitter rivals in one of the closest finishes in recent history.
End of an Era at Manchester City
De Bruyne’s City departure brings an era to a close. Signed from Wolfsburg in 2015, the Belgian wizard was central to Manchester City’s greatest decade, winning 19 trophies.
Most notably perhaps, he was the creative cornerstone in City’s Treble-winning campaign of 2022-23, something achieved only once previously in English football by Manchester United in 1999.
Emotional Farewell at the Etihad for Kevin De Bruyne
After his last home game against Bournemouth, the Etihad exploded into a poignant farewell ceremony. “It’s been unbelievable to have the 10 years that I had with everything that happened here,” De Bruyne said. “It’s been an unbelievable ride and an absolute pleasure.”
“It was a joy working really hard to help create something that brought the club the success we enjoyed. I’m super proud to have played a part in that. Manchester has been my home and my family’s home for these past 10 years.”
