De Bruyne's wife reveals family are counting down days until Napoli exit for Belgium

Kevin De Bruyne’s wife Michelle has publicly revealed that the family are eager to leave Napoli and return to Belgium, describing their current life in Naples as restrictive and isolating.

Speaking to Belgian magazine NINA, Michelle did not hold back on the difficulties the family have faced since De Bruyne joined the Serie A club after his Manchester City contract expired in 2025. “Of course, we think about the future together,” she said. “And increasingly often, we say to each other: we are going to live here in Limburg. The sooner we get here, the better.”

The contrast with their years in Manchester was stark, she explained. In the English city, the family had settled to the point where they could move around freely without attracting attention. Naples has proved a very different experience. “In Manchester, it was different. Where we lived, people had seen us so often that it wasn’t special anymore. We could walk out the door there without a single photo being taken. In Naples, that is impossible.”

Michelle also spoke about the toll the move has taken on De Bruyne himself. “Kevin leads a very restricted life in Napoli. It’s not much fun for him. Besides, we can’t do anything together as a family in the city.”

Her comments reflect a broader questioning of priorities as De Bruyne enters the later stages of his career. “At a certain point, football is no longer the priority. You have achieved everything, done everything. Why would you then turn your children’s lives upside down?”

De Bruyne signed a two-year deal with Napoli that made him one of the highest-paid players in Serie A, joining a club that had recently claimed the Italian title. But his time in Naples has not been straightforward. Reports of dressing room tension have surfaced, and he is already playing under his second manager in as many seasons.

In England, De Bruyne was widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in Premier League history, winning the PFA Player of the Year award twice and serving as the creative engine of a City side that achieved an unprecedented level of domestic dominance. His transition to Italian football has, by his wife’s account, come at a significant personal cost.