Lauded like Maradona – will De Bruyne return to haunt Man City?

As Manchester City prepare to kick off their Champions League campaign on Thursday, a well-known face will return to haunt them.

Kevin de Bruyne won 16 championships with City in a decade, and a statue outside Etihad Stadium will serve as his legacy.

The Belgium international left City when his contract came to an end in June, and he is now plotting their eventual demise with Napoli.

The 34-year-old’s arrival in Naples has been praised and compared to the legendary Argentine Diego Maradona, who still holds the respect of the Italian national team’s supporters.

Vincenzo Credendino, a journalist in Naples, stated to BBC Sport that “Napoli have not signed a player as well-known as De Bruyne.” De Bruyne is 34 years old, whereas Maradona reached his peak in his career.

De Bruyne is the version of owner Aurelio de Laurentiis for the 1980s, which is obvious.

He would like to make a great impression and succeed in Manchester, after all those beautiful years there. He has already stated that he wants to win the Champions League and that he wants to do the same.

Giovanni di Lorenzo, the skipper of Napoli, described De Bruyne as a “great champion” and said he had “great humility” when he first arrived at the club.

The 32-year-old right-back added: “He didn’t really talk about his ex-teammates, but I’m confident he will enjoy playing here where he had a lot of good games.”

Antonio Conte, who was previously at Chelsea and Tottenham, was the mastermind behind Napoli’s Scudetto success last season, which has since risen to the top of the table once more with a 100% record after three games.

The late Maradona led their title triumphs in 1987 and 1990, putting an end to a 33-year wait for a top-flight spot again in 2023, but they lost their way by placing 10th place the following year.

Conte took over and worked with a familiar system: a strong base with three at the back and a physically tough Romelu Lukaku front-row team.

With only 27 goals in their 38 games and Lukaku leading the club’s scoring chart with 14 goals, Napoli held the lead last season in the standings, one point ahead of Inter Milan.

With the signing of Rasmus Hojlund from Manchester United on loan with an obligation to buy permanently next summer, Conte is now looking to change into a more possession-based system after leading the team to a difficult training camp in the Trentino mountains during the pre-season.

The central theme of Conte’s 2.0 project, “added Credendino,” is “De Bruyne.” He has a player who is a football player’s paradise.

“Napoli haven’t had a player of the calibre of De Bruyne in the last few years.” Victor Osimhen, Edinson Cavani, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia were among the promising young players who were attempting to reach the top [echelons] of football.

De Bruyne is technically on a different level than the other players because he is already well-known when he first arrived in Naples. Only he can play the ball with precision for a distance of 60 meters. Because he adds something unique, he is a valuable resource for Conte.

De Bruyne expressed disappointment from City, according to a report from BBC Sport in May that the city had not given him a contract extension.

The midfielder will be treated to a hero’s welcome on Thursday as he returns to a place he describes as “home” following an emotional dismissal from the club that brought manager Pep Guardiola to tears.

De Bruyne appears to have seamlessly integrated at his new home, scoring two goals in his first three games for the City, who will be first-hand impressed by his level of skill.

Guardiola claimed that it will be nice to have him back, and that adapting to players at De Bruyne’s level won’t take long.

I spoke with Kevin, asked him a few questions, and “added Conte.” He has had a great coach like Pep Guardiola and has spent the last 10 years playing for this club.

Hojlund, a Danish striker, was unceremoniously sent off by Manchester United, and both he and Scott McTominay may have been relieved to have left after City had destroyed their former club with a 3-0 victory on Sunday.

Hojlund, 22, hopes to end his difficult time at Old Trafford by beginning his Napoli career in a dreamlike manner, scoring on his debut against Fiorentina on Saturday with a 3-1 win.

McTominay, 28, escaped United’s chaos by moving to Naples last summer, and the midfielder immediately rose to fame with 12 goals and 12 assists to help them win the title.

The Scotland international has a city mural akin to Maradona’s and been nominated for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award for the best player in the world, something that would have been impossible while playing for United.

Conte claimed that he had the opportunity to sign McTominay when he arrived last summer and that he saw “great potential” in him.

By simultaneously putting De Bruyne and McTominay on the field, Credendino continued, “Conte’s system is starting to lose the traditional definition of “formation.” The system is extremely fluid. McTominay may start left, but he never loses ground inside the pitch.

De Bruyne’s ability with his feet can help him when Hojlund, who runs quickly toward the goal, is at play.