Kevin De Bruyne Faces Former Club Manchester City

De Bruyne's Napoli set for tough test at Etihad

Kevin De Bruyne returns to Manchester City with Napoli in the Champions League. Read about his thoughts on facing his former club.

“My first impression is that it's more tactical in Italy and things move a bit slower. But it's still football...”

Kevin De Bruyne is set to face his former club Manchester City with Napoli in the Champions League group opener on September 18, and he's admitted that returning to the Etihad Stadium will feel strange. De Bruyne spent several successful years with City, but left at the end of last season after his contract wasn't renewed. He recently joined Napoli under coach Antonio Conte, marking a new chapter in his career.

De Bruyne expressed his sentiments about the upcoming match, saying, “We're playing against City in Manchester with Napoli soon. That's going to be strange. City is my club and that's not going to change.” Despite the familiarity of the stadium and opponents, De Bruyne is focused on the new challenge with Napoli, highlighting the differences in style between Conte and his former coach Pep Guardiola. He noted that Conte's approach is more tactical and slightly slower-paced compared to Guardiola's.

Kevin De Bruyne will return to Manchester City this season 🩵

The Cityzens host Napoli in the Champions League 🏡 pic.twitter.com/Xh1lbuD5bb

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 28, 2025

“I've only played two matches in Serie A. It's different under manager (Antonio) Conte than the years under Pep Guardiola,” De Bruyne told reporters on the eve of Belgium's World Cup Group J qualifier against Kazakhstan in Brussels.

“My first impression is that it's more tactical in Italy and things move a bit slower. But it's still football.”

“I played other systems before while at Manchester City,” he added, fielding more questions about his club career than the World Cup clash.

“We're playing against City in Manchester with Napoli soon. That's going to be strange. City is my club and that's not going to change,” De Bruyne added.