Napoli’s head coach has a project for the headline signing of his summer, and it is not the one Kevin De Bruyne grew up wanting. After watching the Belgian pull the strings from deeper in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Frosinone, Massimiliano Allegri said the position change is really a question of how many more years at the top De Bruyne has left.
“I told him, he can extend his career by another couple of years if he plays in that position,” Allegri told Sky Sport Italia after the match.
“He doesn’t like it very much, as he enjoys himself more in an advanced role, but this evening he did really well.”
De Bruyne, who turned 35 in June, scored twice at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on 10 October. The first was a 29th-minute penalty retaken on VAR’s instruction after Lorenzo Palmisani had parried Rasmus Hojlund’s original effort with his feet off the line; Allegri waved De Bruyne up for the retake, and he converted. The second came with the last kick of the game. Noa Lang added Napoli’s second three minutes after the opener.
‘I was always a Number 8, Number 10’
The player himself was not sold on the shift when he met Sky Sport Italia at the final whistle.
“I’ve always been a Number 8, Number 10. It changes over the years, but I’ve always been a Number 8, Number 10 original,” De Bruyne said.
“They asked me to play a different role today, as we had a lot of injuries in midfield.”
Allegri lined Napoli up in a 3-4-3 built around the absences in the middle of the pitch. Frank Anguissa was out, Scott McTominay was fit only for a 61st-minute cameo in his first appearance since cardiac arrhythmia surgery about a month earlier, and David Neres had just returned to fitness. Benoit Badiashile made his first start.
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“McTominay isn’t at 100 per cent, Anguissa is out, so I preferred to rest Gilmour and try to give Lobotka some minutes, while De Bruyne can do very well in that position,” Allegri explained.
A fitness project behind the tactical one
Allegri framed the role shift as part of a broader rebuild of the players who missed the start of the season, and he was blunt about why the squad still looks short of rhythm.
“Let’s not forget, he was out injured for a long time last year, Anguissa and Gilmour were injured too, so it takes a little time and patience to get everyone in good shape.”
The coach also doubled down on where he sees De Bruyne doing most damage.
“He is an extraordinary player, and in my view if he’s working as a playmaker in that midfield pairing, he’s even better,” Allegri said.
De Bruyne, who left Manchester City in the summer on a free transfer to Napoli, pointed to the schedule rather than the role when asked whether he agreed with his coach.
“It’s a busy schedule, it is what it is, I try to help, and that’s it.”
Napoli travel to the Estadio de la Cerámica on 20 October to face Villarreal in their third league-phase match of the Champions League.
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