Napoli manager Antonio Conte has admitted to picking the brain of new signing Kevin De Bruyne ahead of the Belgian’s return to Manchester City on Thursday.
City declined to offer a new contract to De Bruyne and allowed the 34-year-old to depart on a free transfer, bringing the curtain down on an illustrious decade-long career at the Etihad Stadium, which yielded no fewer than six Premier League titles.
De Bruyne, who has two goals in his first three games for Napoli, ran the risk of a reunion with his former employers by publicly insisting he had no plans to move away from the highest level this summer, and a switch to Naples has presented him with a trip back to Manchester at the earliest opportunity as the two sides face off in their Champions League opener.
Few players have developed an understanding of Pep Guardiola’s tactics quite like De Bruyne, whose 381 appearances under the boss is bettered only by the 411 outings racked up by Bernardo Silva, and Conte admitted trying to take advantage of that in his preparation for Thursday’s game.
“To be honest, it’s always been very careful preparation like it has been for every single match. We’re not doing anything particularly different,” Conte explained.
“I’ve spoken to Kevin, I’ve asked him a few things, he’s been a part of this club for 10 years and had a great coach like Pep Guardiola.
“Kevin will be excited to be playing, but I’m hoping that after the starting whistle, he will find his feet and remember that he’s playing for our great Napoli and contribute like he has been doing.”
Right back Giovanni Di Lorenzo urged City fans to give De Bruyne the hero’s welcome he deserves, but backed the Belgian to shut out the noise and continue to impress on the pitch.
“Since the first day he got to us he arrived with great humility, he’s a great champion,” Di Lorenzo said. “He didn’t really talk about his ex-teammates but I’m sure he will be happy to play, to come back in this stadium where he has enjoyed many matches.
“I know that they will welcome him back and be pleased to see him. He deserves it and I hope he will have a great match.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Asked a Few Things’—Antonio Conte Eyes Man City Advantage Thanks to Kevin De Bruyne.
