Kevin De Bruyne confrontation with Conte is now one of the greatest discussions of the Serie A following the 1-0 defeat of Napoli against AC Milan at the San Siro. What had begun as a utilitarian change of direction ended up a glossy confrontation between two of the most passionately involved persons of the game, De Bruyne, the genius of a midfield and Antonio Conte, the razing-gun approacher to tactics. Their conflict is now become a matter of debate of ego, leadership and control within the team yet on the new identity.
The tension was created during the match which was very closely tied. Napoli found itself trailing closely after giving away an early lead but had recovered once De Bruyne joined the team in the mid field. The Belgian not only provided rhythm and tempo but was the creative hand of Napoli and he turned a penalty halfway into the second half into a draw. But surprisingly, 70th minute later Conte chose to change him.
As De Bruyne walked out he shook his head, and muttered at himself, and looked evidently vexed. The flashes of his face were caught by the cameras confusion with disbelief. He did not even cast a glance over to Conte during the pass over the technical area. Nor did Conte, in his disciplinarian fashion. A few moments later, in a post-match interview, he did not dodge the question on the reaction of the player saying. I would have hoped he was angry at the outcome not at my decision. otherwise, he has chosen the wrong man to hate.
That was the first line that caused the social media to go wild. Both fans and analysts chipped in–some whitewaked the powers of Conte, others said that competitive juvenile, De Bruyne, was to be relished, not repressed. This is a player who, as we all know, is full of fire and ambition, the same qualities which made him an irreplaceable player at Manchester City prior to his Italian transfer.
Conte, nevertheless, was never afraid to insist on full devotion to his styles. His managerial backgrounds in both Chelsea and Inter Milan reveals that he appreciates discipline more than any other thing. That has brought him trophies as well as tussles with large celebrities. De Bruyne, intensely brilliant, and unfittingly shy of professing it, is not likely to nod. What followed with San Siro was not entirely unexpected and more of eventuality a clash between two footballing ideologies.
Napoli officials behind the scenes also apparently minimized the episode, as they demanded both men have mutual respect and the fact was that emotional moments are part of high-level sport. Still, the optics matter. An impression of a friction beneath a side already scrutinized by De Bruyne and comments by Conte served to reinforce that opinion. The fans of Napoli are fanatic and critical; they are fully conscious that the coach and talisman should be on air with each other to ensure that a successful season is realized.
Strategically, it was not a totally baseless decision on Conte. The game was on and Conte add freshly-still legs to take advantage of the tired Milan defense. But the influence of De Bruyne more especially his vision and passing range is the sort of thing which a relatively small number of managers would sacrifice, to advantage, in following. The overtaking, deserved or not, would have been sending a message of distrust to one of the largest heads of the dressing room.
The prize to both men is huge. To De Bruyne, this adventure in Serie A is a new beginning in a decade of success in England. He is 34 years old and still has the drive to play at the top level, and the project in Napoli presented him with both a challenge and a prestige. To Conte it is about re-establishing order and instilling discipline in a team that has disintegrated following a two-season winning streak and the Scudetto. It will be a matter of success that will be realised based on whether their relationship is developed into confrontation or collaboration.
Conte will hardly apologize or tone down his position in the short run. His approaches are based on rigidity and responsibility. He is living to fight, and he tends to find such a fight to get his teams going. That is not what De Bruyne is going through she is a world-class player, who demands that others trust and respect her. A balance between such dynamics will determine the seasons of Napoli.
At least both men say that the matter is closed. The spoken word by De Bruyne after the lunch, with the brief span was merely, We all want to win. That’s all that matters.” But the carefully timed and icy nine words were a stark contrast to the heated post match tones that Conte used with enthusiasm. Under the carpet, there is the friction.
The fans of Napoli wish that this Kevin De Bruyne confrontation with Conte is more of a footnote rather than a dint. However, as cameras are on the lookout and emotions are on the rise the story is not finished. The coming couple of fixtures will determine whether in mutual respect there shall be mutual resonance or egotism ultimately work out collisions in the very core of Naples.
Finally, football lives on personas such as these. The quiet genius of De Bruyne and the never-resting vitality of Conte might yet be fated to do well together should they but put the strength of their will to the consciousness of one object. At least, at this stage, the greatest fight in Napoli may not be with Milan, Juventus, or even Inter, but in their own backyard.
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