It appears that an early clash is brewing between Napoli coach Antonio Conte and the southern club’s star player Kevin De Bruyne, against the backdrop of recent events in the Serie A champions’ 2-1 defeat to AC Milan.
De Bruyne started the match and scored a penalty in the second half to reduce the deficit. Conte decided to substitute him in the 71st minute, leaving the Belgian star clearly angry.
Conte was asked about De Bruyne’s anger upon being substituted, and he responded, “I hope his anger is due to the result, because if he’s upset about something else, he’s messing with the wrong person.”
Conte is known to be one of the strictest coaches in world football, and he’s not afraid to engage in disputes with stars, regardless of their names. Meanwhile, De Bruyne’s confrontational personality means that a crisis between the two could quickly end the Belgian’s time at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.
Since joining Napoli for free last summer, De Bruyne has made six appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals.
With the defeat to Napoli, Napoli dropped to second place, tied with Milan and Roma, with 12 points each.
