CorSport – De Bruyne returns, Conte faces Belgian after Euro heroics | OneFootball

CorSport – Napoli, the return of De Bruyne: Conte reunites with the Belgian after the show with Belgium

The return of the king. From Belgium to Naples, scepter and crown: Kevin De Bruyne, take a bow. Three goals and one assist in two matches with the national team, climbing the all-time scorers' list just behind Lukaku. Four in three appearances, if we also consider the rainbow he painted at Mapei against Sassuolo, debuting in that realm (Serie A) that welcomed him with: "The king is here." Indeed, the king is here. And he couldn't disappoint the crowds and fans: a timeless and boundless champion, 34 years old with 34 goals in 113 international showcases with his country's team since August 11, 2010, against Finland. Fifteen years of Kevin and two matches with Napoli, as a star of the Fab Four show assembled by the club and then mixed by Conte, the man of the fourth championship and a new great story to write with a team ready for the third and fourth of the season in series. In line: Saturday at Franchi against Fiorentina in the league and Thursday, September 18 in Manchester against City in the mother cup. It couldn't just be an ordinary evening for an extraordinary player: thus, Napoli's return to the Champions League will coincide with De Bruyne's return home, to Etihad. An honorary Citizen among the Citizens, after ten years of enchantment on the Mersey banks and 116 days of inevitable nostalgia and southern sun. New Neapolitan emotions, unexplored challenges, and great goals: he will play for the championship, for European pride, for the cups, for the team. And for himself: Garcia preferred the younger Tielemans to Kevin (and Lukaku) for the captain's role? And he scored three, one after the other, as a pure champion. The most fab of the Four.

Kevin, however, does not believe in divine rights: "I am the one who must adapt to my teammates," the manifesto of the democratic king and his boundless class. Equal to his human character and humility, one might say. Indeed, Conte said it, speaking of his willingness to work and sacrifice: "He hasn't missed a single minute of training and has always worked with a smile." The explosion of joy from the bench at Anguissa's goal against Cagliari, in the 95th minute, after a massive effort, is the symbolic snapshot of De Bruyne's hunger: he has won everything, anything, but after 24 titles in the cabinet, he is chasing number 25. With Napoli. The marathon will start again today, day one of effort and preparation towards Saturday's trip to Franchi to challenge Fiorentina. The third Italian after Sassuolo and Cagliari.

Carlo Gioia

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.