Fit again Kevin De Bruyne is getting a second chance at a first impression for Napoli
Kevin De Bruyne spent a lot of time watching Napoli from the sidelines last season. Just two months into his debut season, the Belgian suffered a thigh injury that would ultimately rule him out for much of the 2026/27 campaign. When he returned, a training ground incident dealt De Bruyne a cheekbone injury, as if he had lacked bad fortune.
From afar, De Bruyne watched as Napoli went through a lot of change. The Scudetto-winning team he joined from Manchester City in the summer of 2025 slowly disintegrated. Now fit again, De Bruyne is playing for a different manager with many different teammates around him.
On the basis of his performance in Napoli’s opening weekend win over Genoa, though, De Bruyne is ready and able to produce the same old moments of magic that have defined his career. The 35-year-old is getting a second chance at making a first impression for the Serie A club.
When De Bruyne joined Napoli a year ago, the idea was that he would add some guile to the then Italian champions. Under Antonio Conte, Napoli had become a force of nature. They outfought opponents on their way to winning Serie A with Scott McTominay their biggest difference-maker.
With De Bruyne in the team, though, Conte planned to evolve Napoli’s playing style. He recognised the need for his side to become more proactive in their passing rhythm and the addition of the former Manchester City playmaker was key to this. Losing him for so much of the season was disruptive to the entire scheme.
Napoli seem to have rolled back this ambition by replacing Conte with Massimiliano Allegri. After back-to-back underwhelming stints at AC Milan and Juventus, Allegri has a point to prove after widespread confusion at his appointment as Napoli boss over the summer. If this backfires, owner Aurelio De Laurentiis will face criticism.
Allegri’s playing style is naturally conservative. He sets up teams to be defensive-minded. Allegri-ball aims to simplify the role of each player on the pitch to focus their minds on playing their own game. In the final third, this means Allegri’s teams depend on the individual quality of their best players.
This could harness De Bruyne as Napoli’s most talented player. Introduced off the bench for the final 23 minutes of Napoli’s opening league fixture against Genoa, the Belgian was afforded the freedom to affect the play in the attacking third from a roaming role on the right side of the midfield.
Allegri’s biggest problem could be fitting Frank Anguissa, McTominay, Stanislav Lobotka and De Bruyne into the same team. This is an issue Conte also ran into in the early stages of last season with McTominay frequently pushed into a wide position to make room for De Bruyne in the centre of the pitch. It didn’t work.
Deploying De Bruyne and McTominay in the same midfield three puts a lot of strain on the third member of the central unit. Neither De Bruyne or McTominay are particularly suited to operating in a deeper role, although it has been argued the former would be wise to adapt his game in this way to prolong his career at the top level.
De Bruyne’s goal against Genoa was proof of the attacking instincts that still flow through the veins of the 35-year-old. With Napoli in need of a breakthrough, De Bruyne reacted quickest to a ball inside the box, lashing home a finish to give his team the advantage they had been seeking.
“Last year was difficult, to have surgery like this and be out for five months,” said De Bruyne after the game. “I think I started well last year, but it’s really hard to return in March when everyone else is in top form. I’ve only been here two weeks because of the World Cup, I think I’m doing well, I’m trying to help the team and hope to have an injury-free season, and I hope that I can enjoy my football.”
Napoli host Como in their next match in what will be a gauge of where they are under Allegri. Cesc Fàbregas’ Como were the surprise package in Serie A last season, finishing in the top four and qualifying for the Champions League. If there are any weaknesses in Napoli’s system, Como will exploit them.
Italy and Serie A was meant to be the perfect place for De Bruyne’s career renaissance when he moved there a year ago. It might still be with the Belgian finally fit and firing again. His goal on the opening weekend of the new Serie A season may have been a sign of things to come.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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