Manchester City legend Kevin De Bruyne swapped one sky blue shirt for another as he left the Etihad Stadium to join Antonio Conte’s Napoli over the summer.
Kevin De Bruyne, one of Manchester City’s most iconic players, left the Etihad Stadium after his contract expired.
The Belgian star was linked with a move to MLS, but he opted to join Napoli, who have just won the Serie A title for the second time this decade.
De Bruyne has now admitted that he has already noticed one big difference between Pep Guardiola’s methods and those of his new head coach.
Kevin De Bruyne says Antonio Conte is more defensive than Pep Guardiola
Napoli’s pre-season has just got under way, with the club preparing to launch their title defence when the new Serie A campaign begins in late August.
De Bruyne, speaking to Sky Sport, said he feels Guardiola’s style of play is more attacking, while Conte’s methods are a little more defensive.
“I’d say Pep probably has a more attacking style, while Conte perhaps tends to be a bit more defensive,” De Bruyne said, as per Gianluca Di Marzio.
“But it’s also difficult to say, we’ve only been working together for ten days. I’ve worked with Pep for nine years.
“Here, there will be slightly different tactics, but that’s normal.
“I have plenty of time to get to know the manager and his approach, but that’s the main difference.”
How Kevin De Bruyne fared on his Napoli debut
De Bruyne made his Napoli debut on Tuesday 22 July when the Scudetto holders faced Arezzo in Dimaro, playing the first half.
The Belgian gave a great account of himself, conducting play expertly and coming close to scoring twice in the first 20 minutes.
‘Expectations are high for the number 11, and they’re far from being disappointed,’ Napoli Zon wrote.
‘The Belgian creates the ball, and his runs leave fans and insiders speechless.
‘He’s missing the goal that would undoubtedly have brought the Carciato Stadium to life.’
Napoli, who lost 2-0 to Arezzo, are back in action on Saturday 26 July when they take on Catanzaro in a 5pm BST kick-off.
