Rasmus Hojlund reveals Kevin de Bruyne's true feelings after 'difficult' Man City return
Manchester City swept aside Napoli to win their first match of the Champions League this season.
Kevin de Bruyne’s return to Manchester didn't go to plan after he played just 26 minutes of Napoli's 2-0 Champions League defeat to Man City on Thursday night.
The Belgian midfielder was making his first appearance back in England after he was released by City in the summer and returned to the Etihad with a point to prove. De Bruyne made it clear he wanted to continue his career with City but was not offered a new contract and left the club as a free agent when his contract expired.
De Bruyne was named in the Napoli starting line up alongside former Manchester United duo Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund for the clash with City, but didn't have much chance to make an impact on the match.
Napoli were reduced to ten-men when club captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo was shown a straight red card for a foul on Erling Haaland, with Antonio Conte forced into a swift tactical change. The Napoli head coach opted to sacrifice De Bruyne to bring defender Mathias Olivera on to fill the hole in their backline.
The 34-year-old was serenaded by City fans as he made his way from the pitch in what was a frustrating return to his former club. Speaking after the match, United loanee Hojlund reacted to the decision and revealed the player's true feelings around the substitution.
“Of course he wanted to play this game, but he understands the coach decides and we have to respect his choices, whether it’s Kevin or anyone else,” Hojlund told Sky Sport Italia. “He’s a very, very good player, he wanted to play, but the coach makes the decision.
“It was difficult obviously to play Manchester City in this stadium, with the quality they have, it’s very very tough anyway, let alone when down to 10 men."