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BBC News
20-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Statue, Pep's tears & a missed sitter - De Bruyne's emotional farewell
Kevin de Bruyne received an emotional farewell at Etihad Stadium for the final time on Tuesday night - and the moment even brought manager Pep Guardiola to tears, who called it a "sad day".The 33-year-old will go down as a Manchester City legend and proclaimed he will "always be here" after the announcement that a statue will be built, external in his honour outside the De Bruyne is set to depart this summer and started his last home game in City's 3-1 victory over Bournemouth, but the Premier League great bowed out in a somewhat abject had the chance to go out in style but missed a first-half sitter and was then sacrificed in the second half after Mateo Kovacic's sending off - a sad ending for such an illustrious Bruyne said in his post-match speech: "I wanted to play with creativity, I wanted to play with passion. I wanted to enjoy football and I hope everyone enjoyed it. "Everybody has pushed me so hard inside and outside the club to be the best version of myself and these guys in front of me have made me better than I was before."It's an honour to play with these guys. I've made so many friends for life."The decade-long association has produced unprecedented success for City, while the player has etched himself into the club's history books by taking home an incredible 16 winners' medals during that the full-time whistle was blown, nothing was going to spoil his grand send-off as City players, staff and supporters paid tribute to their midfield said: "Everybody saw how much the people from Manchester City are connected with him and his family and how much love [they have]."Titles are nice and everything that he has achieved, but when you leave after 10 years with this much respect and gratitude, there is nothing else better than that."I am part of that, the club will take the decision, but it is a sad day and he will be missed, there is no doubt about that."Guardiola added: "When Kevin arrived here, I am pretty sure he was not a Man City fan, I don't know who he supports, but I am pretty sure he is a fan now and will be forever."That is because of the connection between all the people and him." Humble De Bruyne 'deserved' send-off On a night when 'The Boss' rolled into town, 'The King' waved goodbye for the final Bruyne's face was plastered everywhere you looked on arrival at the stadium and although legendary US singer Bruce Springsteen may have been playing a few yards away at the Co-Op Live arena, this was the hottest ticket of the stalls had scarves emblazoned with De Bruyne's name, as did the shirts of supporters, while the matchday programme has a mock-up of the player with the crown from the Premier League trophy atop his had announced in the lead-up to kick-off that they had dedicated a mosaic and named a road after De Bruyne at the club's was also fitting that a playmaker that has created such artistry on the grass canvass has had a huge mural painted of him in Manchester's Northern chants of "ohh Kevin De Bruyne" to Seven Nations Army died down, there was a buzz of anticipation each time he had his foot on the ball, willing him to showcase a goal or assist for one last time on their big moment could not have been planned any better - the ball laid to him on a plate, in front of an open goal, a couple of yards out, but De Bruyne in slow motion scooped the ball onto the 33-year-old had his head in his hands, so did the returning Rodri on the bench and City fans all around as the dream finale went awry."It's terrible," De Bruyne said of the miss. "There's no excuses. My son is going to be very tough on me today."At full-time, a montage of his best moments over the past decade flashed up on the screen with messages from the likes of Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany, Raheem Sterling and Pablo Bruyne was given a guard of honour as he returned to the pitch with his wife and kids by his came the outpouring of former Chelsea man struggled to hold it together during his speech in the middle of the park, as did a tearful Guardiola watching on from the sidelines."We want you to stay, Kevin de Bruyne, we want you to stay," was the chant that rung out from supporters but there appears to be no turning back, as he led his team-mates on a lap of appreciation before making an exit for one last City defender Micah Richards said: "He lets his football do the talking. He's such a shy character but I have been meeting him over the years and seeing how humble he is and how great a player he is, it is just great to see."He has deserved his send-off. Everyone who's played with him speaks highly of him, and to do what he's one in the Premier League is just sensational." The numbers speak for themselves Guardiola holds De Bruyne is such high esteem that he described the Belgian as the "second best" passer he has worked with - after the great Lionel his debut in September 2015, De Bruyne has played 283 top-flight games and has provided 119 assists, second in the Premier League's all-time list behind Ryan Giggs' 162, and scored 72 190 goal involvements puts him fourth on the Premier League list during that period behind Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane and Son 843 chances created during that period, De Bruyne has been, by far, the most prolific creative player in the division, with Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes lagging behind in second with game against Bournemouth was De Bruyne's 142nd and final home league appearance for City, with only David Silva having played more Premier League games at the Etihad with what City meant to him, De Bruyne said it was "home", "family" and that his kid "were Manc".Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp said on Sky Sports: "Who is the next De Bruyne in world football? They don't exist. He is like a unicorn, so don't even bother looking for another KDB."There is absolutely no doubt he is a genius. For him it is so easy." Foden's time? How to replace De Bruyne De Bruyne has made it clear he is not abdicating his throne by his own choice, saying he was surprised not to be offered a new contract by the his next move could be to Chicago Fire in the US, attention will soon turn to the difficult task of finding a Sport understands City are withdrawing their initial interest in Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz, owing to the soaring costs of any deal, but Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White is among the though, have two players at the club in Phil Foden and Jack Grealish that have played a bit-part role this term and could provide the answer if they can rediscover their form."He [De Bruyne] is irreplaceable," said Richards. "I have been disappointed with Phil Foden, but he needs to step up now."There is a vacancy available and this is Foden's time."De Bruyne added: "To do what we've done as a club, supporters, teammates we've won everything."We made the city, the club bigger and now they're going to take over."
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Out of Europe, out of ideas? Manchester City women face big summer rebuild
City's players hold up a banner saying 'Thank you' but there has been little to cheer in a season without a trophy for a third year in succession. City's players hold up a banner saying 'Thank you' but there has been little to cheer in a season without a trophy for a third year in succession. Photograph:Even as the party anthems blasted out under sunny Manchester skies and the home fans showed their appreciation after a seven-goal thriller, the celebratory mood could not fully mask the undertone of disappointment at the Joie Stadium, for a club wondering what might have been. On the season's final day 12 months ago, Manchester City missed out on the title only on goal difference. This time, they finished 17 points off the runaway champions Chelsea. Worse still, City dropped outside the European places. Advertisement It is only the third time City have finished outside the top three in 11 years in the WSL. There can be no mistaking it – this season has been a failure for a club with greater expectations and, more worryingly, their third consecutive campaign without a trophy. City have dropped 11 points from winning positions and, having missed out on Europe by one point, will rue the last-gasp equaliser they conceded at West Ham in March. There can be few arguments about the cause of their slump: injuries. City enjoyed a run of 10 consecutive wins in all competitions between late September and mid-November when most of their first-choice players were fit, including a victory over the European champions Barcelona that demonstrated City's prowess at full strength. However, long-term knee injuries to Lauren Hemp and Alex Greenwood as well as spells on the sidelines for the Khadija Shaw – who still ended up sharing the WSL's Golden Boot despite only playing 14 of 22 league games – and Vivianne Miedema took their toll. Mary Fowler's anterior cruciate ligament injury merely added to their woes. Their rivals have seen injuries too, and coped admirably, not least Chelsea with Sam Kerr out for the entire season – but City's injury toll has cost them dearly. Advertisement 'There'll be a review process, a reflection process for the organisation and for the people involved,' City's interim head coach, Nick Cushing, said. 'There are many things that need to be fixed, but that process I'm sure will happen. I don't know how it'll happen or when it'll happen or who will be involved, but there is a huge desire in the staff, in the leadership and in the players, to get this team back to competing [for] trophies.' Related: Arsenal WSL runners-up after resisting Manchester United fightback for 4-3 win Cushing returned to the club in March after Gareth Taylor's sacking and said on Friday that the club have had 'no conversations' with him about next season. So not unreasonably he assumed Saturday's game would be his last, although he will remain in post for the inaugural World Sevens Football event in Portugal later this month. Asked about his future again on Saturday, Cushing added: 'I'm contracted until 1 June, so once June 1st comes, I'll be back where I was in December, January, February, I'll be putting the bins out. I have a huge desire to have a team and develop that team into playing a really attacking style and compete for trophies. Where that will be, I'm really open to conversations.' Advertisement The club's search for a new coach will soon be over. City's managing director, Charlotte O'Neill, and the director of women's football, Therese Sjogran, have a huge decision to make as the club seeks a way of responding to Chelsea's dominance of the women's game in England. This City team undoubtably has potential. In Saturday's 5-2 win over relegated Crystal Palace they rallied from 2-1 down at half-time to score a flurry of second-half goals, inspired by Aoba Fujino, whose arrival last summer shows City's eye for a good player has not changed. City also possess the best winger in the division in Hemp, who finished the campaign with the highest number of assists in the WSL despite playing in fewer than half of City's league games. They will now have to replace Laia Aleixandri, the gifted centre-half who bade farewell to City after the final whistle. She is understood to be on her way to Barcelona. A busy summer of investment in the squad is sure to follow. To have the strength in depth to challenge consistently the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal, City will need it.
