Conte explains why De Bruyne starts on the Napoli bench vs. Pisa | OneFootball

Antonio Conte says he’s made ‘technical’ choices for his Napoli line-up against Pisa, including Eljif Elmas in place of Kevin De Bruyne.

Napoli visit already relegated Pisa on Sunday at 12:00 CET, with ex-Manchester City star De Bruyne starting on the bench.

Why De Bruyne starts on the bench in Pisa vs. Napoli

Sam Beukema returns to the Partenopei’s defence, so Giovanni Di Lorenzo is deployed as a right wing-back.

“Those are normal decisions of a coach who sees how the week goes and makes technical decisions,” Conte told DAZN (via TuttoNapoli) when asked to explain his decisions on Di Lorenzo and Elmas.

NAPLES, ITALY – APRIL 06: Kevin De Bruyne of SSC Napoli in action during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and AC Milan at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on April 06, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

Napoli have won only one of their last five Serie A games, collecting just one point in the last two.

Still, they need just one victory in the last two rounds of the season to mathematically qualify for the Champions League.

“Inevitably, nobody enjoys defeats, especially the way it happened against Bologna, in the final minutes,” Conte said.

NAPLES, ITALY – MARCH 06: Kevin De Bruyne of SSC Napoli during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Torino FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on March 06, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)

“We must reset and prepare for the next game, which is important to us.”

Conte is under contract with Napoli until June 2027, but according to Gazzetta, he will discuss his future with the club within the next 10 days if the Partenopei secure Champions League qualification today.

Napoli hired Conte in the summer of 2024, winning one Serie A title and one Supercoppa Italiana since.