Napoli, de Bruyne: Ambition here, Conte not Guardiola, I'm ready | OneFootball

After the first ten days of retreat in Dimaro, Kevin De Bruyne is beginning to get comfortable with his new reality in blue. His approach to Napoli has been intense, involving athletic work, initial tactical tests, and his debut in the Partenopean jersey in a 2-0 defeat against Arezzo.

Napoli, de Bruyne: "There is ambition here, the level is high. Conte is different from Guardiola, but I am ready"

But the Belgian superstar looks ahead with balance and determination.

"The level is high, I am getting to know the group" In an interview with Sky Sport, De Bruyne gave a first assessment of his Neapolitan experience: "I feel good. I've been here for ten days and we're working a lot. The level is high, but I want to get to know my teammates and the coach better. It will be a gradual process, but I have all the time to do it," said the midfielder, fresh from a winning cycle at Manchester City.

The first impact with the fans was warm, as expected: "Having such passionate fans gives you strength. Pressure is part of the game, but it helps to always give more. In a high-level team, every player must take their own responsibilities to arrive best prepared for the new season."

Guardiola and Conte: "Two different visions of football" Among the most interesting parts of his interview, De Bruyne offered a perspective on the comparison between two central figures in his career: Pep Guardiola and Antonio Conte, the coach who will guide him in this new adventure.

"I worked nine years with Guardiola, I know his approach well. He probably has a more offensive style, while Conte tends to be more attentive to the defensive phase," he explained. "But it's still early to judge. We've been working together for a few days, I still need to fully understand his ideas. It's normal there are tactical differences: football evolves, and I'm ready to do it too."

About the defeat with Arezzo: "We wanted to win, but it's not a drama" The friendly debut did not bring the hoped-for result, but De Bruyne is not making a drama: "We could have won that match, but we failed to capitalize. It's normal at this time, the important thing is the daily work. I'm not worried: we need to continue to build, improve mutual knowledge and refine the mechanisms."

The new course of Conte and the role of De Bruyne With the arrival of the coach from Salento and the signing of De Bruyne, Napoli shows its desire to turn the page with ambition and pragmatism. For the former City player, the central task will be to lead a group in transition and bring his international experience to the service of a technical project in full renewal.

As the team continues its preparation between physical tests and initial tactical insights, the impression is that De Bruyne is gradually entering the heart of the Azzurri project. The season is at the doorstep, and Napoli is counting on him to build its future, with awareness and ambition, indeed.

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