Kevin De Bruyne scored a second-half penalty to get Napoli back in the game against AC Milan before being subbed off by Antonio Conte in their first Serie A defeat. The Belgian looked frustrated as he walked off and went straight to the bench without acknowledging Conte. The coach said the decision was to bring fresh legs, adding he hoped De Bruyne’s displeasure was with the result, not him.
Kevin De Bruyne wasn't happy with Conte's decision
De Bruyne was one of Napoli's standout performers in their clash against AC Milan, orchestrating play from midfield and constantly probing the opposition defence. His most significant contribution came when he won a penalty after being tripped by a Milan defender while making a clever run into the box. The Belgian confidently stepped up and converted the penalty, briefly levelling the score for Napoli and showcasing his composure under pressure. Despite his strong performance, coach Conte chose to substitute De Bruyne around the 73rd minute. The decision clearly frustrated the player, who swiftly exited the pitch, notably bypassed Conte, and sat on the bench looking visibly disgruntled over being taken off at a crucial moment.
AdvertisementAFPConte's has no time to deal with tantrums
Asked about the changes specifically substituting De Bruyne, Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund in the 73rd minute, the coach said: "I tried to bring in fresh players for one-on-one situations because Milan were closing down a lot. I swapped the striker for Lucca and nothing happened… You make substitutions to try and do something good. I think they were the right changes."
Sharing his take on De Bruyne's reaction, the coach said: "I hope he was upset about the result because if he was upset about something else he's got the wrong person."
The Italian coach wasn't pleased with the result but defended the team's overall performance blaming the drop in defensive hold on the lack of players and a congested fixture run.
"We've conceded a few more goals lately, seeing as we did the two goals against Pisa, the two goals today, and the goal against Fiorentina," he said. "Defensiveness has always been our strength, we'll have to be good at improving. Coming here with this performance and playing with this quality against Milan, who are a tough and physically strong team. If they close down, it becomes difficult… It has to give us a good feeling as a team."
Napoli needs defensive reinforcements
Napoli’s defence is in crisis with the absence of both Amir Rrahmani, out for several weeks with a muscle injury and expected to return in mid-October, and Alessandro Buongiorno, sidelined for about a month with an adductor injury, leaving the team short of centre-backs. Conte admitted after the Milan game that conceding more goals lately has been a problem and emphasised the need for defensive improvement, especially with only Juan Jesus and Sam Beukema left as fit centre-backs, while other defenders like Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Leonardo Spinazzola and Mathias Olivera are either suspended or fatigued.
Getty Images SportConte shifts focus to the Champions League
Napoli will host Sporting CP in their crucial Champions League match on October 1. With several key defenders injured, Conte is counting on the young players to step up and deliver strong performances to keep the team competitive during this injury crisis.
