Modric and De Bruyne, the veteran stars lighting up Milan v Napoli | OneFootball

When Luka Modric and Kevin De Bruyne landed in Serie A, the comments were more or less the same: “Great signing, but…”, “Serie A is the elephants’ graveyard”, “They’re good, sure, but what kind of shape will they be in?”

Modric and De Bruyne, the “terrible old men” lighting up Milan-Napoli

And yet, all it took was trusting the keen eye of two bench masters like Massimiliano Allegri and Antonio Conte to understand that talent and experience are worth much more than an ID card.

Modric, playmaker and maestro at Milan

At Milan, Modric was theoretically supposed to provide quality in the final minutes of matches. Instead, Allegri never takes him off. The coach describes him like this: “Modric knows a minute ahead where the ball will go.” A gift that makes high pressing easier, shortens ball recovery times, and transforms the Rossoneri midfield.

His influence goes beyond the pitch. Ricci, the midfielder Milan had invested so much in, admitted he learns every day by watching the Croatian in training. And in fact, the best way for a young player to grow is to study champions up close.

De Bruyne, the new beacon of Napoli

In Naples, De Bruyne has become the linchpin of Conte’s project in just a few weeks. Some had labeled him as overweight and out of shape, but the numbers speak for themselves: four appearances, two goals, and an absolute centrality in the team’s play. Vertical passes, runs into the box, leadership.

Di Lorenzo’s red card in Manchester had forced him off early, but his importance was never in question. To get the best out of him, Conte redesigned the midfield, moving McTominay into a wider position. With a superstar like De Bruyne, there’s always room.

A lesson for the detractors

Those who thought Modric and De Bruyne came to Italy just to “retire” have had to think again. Their quality is an ode to football: first-time passes, vision, technique, tackles, and the ability to make a difference in decisive moments. Two champions who often leave the field to applause, giving Serie A back that international dimension it had been missing.

Milan-Napoli, the night of the stars

On Sunday at San Siro, all the lights will be on them. Allegri and Conte have built their title chase around Modric and De Bruyne. Two superstars who have nothing left to prove, but still so much to teach.

Maybe they’ll say something to each other quietly before kickoff: “You here too? Come on, let’s show them how it’s done…”

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