Rudi Garcia: De Bruyne a star, happy he chose Napoli, on Lukaku... | OneFootball

The arrival of Kevin De Bruyne at Napoli continues to spark discussion and draw authoritative comments in the world of football. Speaking about the Belgian superstar was Rudi Garcia, the current head coach of Belgium and former coach of the Azzurri and Roma, who in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport expressed satisfaction with the player's decision to continue his career in Serie A.

Belgium, Rudi Garcia on De Bruyne: “An absolute superstar, happy he chose Napoli”

During the interview, Garcia explained why he considers De Bruyne's choice positive:

“I’m glad he chose Napoli. There was talk of the United States or Saudi Arabia, choices that have positive aspects, but also negatives like time zone, distance, and league level. With Conte, however, you’re in Europe, you’re the champion of Italy, and you play in the Champions League.”

For the Belgian head coach, therefore, the Napoli project represents a competitive and stimulating environment, capable of further enhancing the player's talent despite his age.

“De Bruyne remains a superstar”

Garcia then highlighted the uniqueness of the midfielder, while acknowledging that at 34 years old, he won’t be able to play every match at full minutes:

“Obviously at 34 he can’t play 90 minutes every game, but Kevin is a superstar, one of the strongest players I’ve coached.”

A testament to the fact that De Bruyne, despite his age, remains an absolute reference point for European football.

Speaking of strikers, as Belgium's coach, how much do you miss Lukaku at the moment?

“A lot. I’m usually not dependent on a striker; instead of a 25-goal forward, I prefer to have 3-4 who score 12, because when you miss the 25-goal one, you risk not scoring anymore. But if you have people like Dzeko and Lukaku, you’re stronger. Without him, we won twice 6-0, but now the important games are coming, and I’m sorry not to have him. In September, Openda played the first game there and De Kaeteleare the second. Charles is not a true 9, but he did well, he feels the game. However, Lukaku is unique. He can do everything, go deep and overpower everyone with his strength. It means we’ll have to qualify without him.”

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