De Bruyne says he is glad Conte has left Napoli after a season of tactical frustration

Kevin De Bruyne has made no secret of his relief at Antonio Conte’s departure from Napoli, telling Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad that the former Chelsea and Tottenham head coach “didn’t have to stay” as far as he was concerned.

De Bruyne joined Napoli last summer after a decade at Manchester City, but his first season in Italy was disrupted by a hamstring injury that limited him to 21 appearances across all competitions. Even when fit, the 34-year-old found Conte’s system deeply restrictive.

“It was difficult for me, of course, because Conte has a very different vision of football than I do; we shouldn’t beat around the bush about that,” De Bruyne said. “I was never really able to play in my position. It is what it is. I always gave my all.”

The Belgian attacking midfielder was particularly pointed about Napoli’s defensive setup, which he felt limited the team’s attacking output. “We play very defensively. If you score one goal every match in a 5-4-1 … that’s not so great,” he said. “Our top scorer has 10 goals, so yeah, you know the stats aren’t there.”

Conte’s second season at the club ended with Napoli finishing second in Serie A, 11 points behind champions Inter Milan, and failing to reach the Champions League knockout stages — a significant step back from the title they won in his first campaign. Conte announced his own decision to leave at the end of the season.

“It’s been an honour, really special to coach Napoli. It’s been two great seasons, an exceptional experience,” Conte said in his farewell statement. “It was my decision, I told the chairman a few weeks ago. Napoli will always be home.”

De Bruyne finished the season with five goals and four assists. Rasmus Hojlund, who joined from Manchester United, was Napoli’s leading scorer with 12 goals, while former United midfielder Scott McTominay contributed 10.