Napoli manager Antonio Conte has apologised for the early substitution of Kevin De Bruyne in the 2-0 defeat to his former club Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League on Thursday, Afrosport reports.
The game was a return for De Bruyne who left City on a free transfer in the summer but his reunion at the Etihad Stadium was cut short after he was substituted in the 26th minute following Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s sending off five minutes earlier for a foul on Erling Haaland.
Conte, reflecting on the game, felt disappointed he had to take off De Bruyne but stated he had no choice but to do it because of the red card.
“Now, in terms of the substitution of Kevin De Bruyne I was disappointed, but destiny played its part,” the Italian tactician said.
“Since I became manager here at Napoli, we hadn’t had a single red card. Yet tonight, in our first Champions League game against Manchester City, it happened.
“Kevin was coming home, and after 20 minutes, that was it. I was very sorry to make that substitution because I knew we would lose some of what he brings, and because he had been here ten years. But I had no other option than to take him off. He understood.
“He is a good guy, with his head firmly on his shoulders. Sometimes these things happen, destiny throws up these situations. Substituting Kevin De Bruyne after 20 minutes was not something I had ever imagined.
“I thought I might need to make many changes during the match, but not that one. Instead, I had to adjust shifting [Leonardo] Spinazzola to the right, bringing on Mathias Oliveira, and trying to strike a balance against a very strong opponent like Manchester City.”
🙋🏼♂️ pic.twitter.com/haATs1aE3k
— Kevin De Bruyne (@KevinDeBruyne) September 18, 2025
Napoli will hope to get back to winning ways when they host newly-promoted Pisa in the Serie A on Monday night.
