22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Kevin De Bruyne's Napoli given brutal reality check by minnows who asked for photos with Man City legend at full time
KEVIN DE BRUYNE'S shock move to Italy came crashing back down to earth after Napoli were beaten 2-0 by a THIRD TIER side.
And to make matters even more embarrassing, the opponents asked the Premier League legend to pose for
PICTURES
at full-time.
3
Kevin De Bruyne suffered a nightmare debut for Napoli
Credit: Alamy
3
But the Manchester City legend took time to pose for photos after full-time
Credit: Alamy
De Bruyne, who recently joined as a free agent from
Manchester
City, was handed his first start by manager Antonio Conte.
Minnow side Arezzo
struck twice, once late in each half, to secure a remarkable pre-season win over the champions of Italy.
The opener came through Emiliano Pattarello
's covered penalt
y just before halftime, catching
Then, deep into stoppage time,
Muhamed Varela doubled
Arezzo's
lead
to seal a famous victory
at Napoli's own training camp venue.
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But despite the result, classy De Bruyne took time to stand for photos after being asked by a string of Arezzo players on Tuesday evening.
The Belgian great, 34, was spotted standing in the middle of the pitch, with his
boots
off and looking red faced while smiling into the camera.
De Bruyne was subbed off at half-time for defensive midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, while former Prem star Romelu Lukaku got a full second half.
De Bruyne will wear the No.11 shirt in the coming season but, as a welcome gesture from the club, he has been training wearing Diego Maradona's retired No10 on his shorts.
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3
Antonio Conte's side were beaten 2-0 by a third-tier side
Credit: Alamy
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Notably absent from Conte's squad were Serie A Player of the Season Scott McTominay and Matteo Politano.
Both players were ruled out due to muscle fatigue
.
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The pair have reportedly been managing minor strains caused by the intense physical demands of
Conte's pre-season sessions.
Arezzo's goalkeeper, Luca Trombini, was the standout performer, denying Napoli repeatedly with a string of big saves.
Napoli's pre-season continues with another friendly scheduled against Serie B outfit Catanzaro on July 26.
Their title defence begins with a trip to Sassuolo on August 23.
