Antonio Conte has left Napoli after his spell at the Italian club ended in a second-place finish in Serie A - and star player Kevin De Bruyne isn't sad to see him go16:13, 01 Jun 2026Kevin De Bruyne has openly admitted that he is happy to see the back of Antonio Conte at Napoli after a difficult debut campaign in Italy. De Bruyne joined Napoli last summer after ending his 10-year spell at Manchester City and the 2025/26 campaign didn't go to plan.‌The Belgian attacking midfielder made just 21 appearances across all competitions for Napoli, with a hamstring injury proving to be a significant problem. And when he did play, the 34-year-old found Conte's pragmatic tactics stifling.‌Conte is known for his rigid, defence-first approach and while it worked in his first season as Napoli won the Serie A title, it didn't have the desired effect in the second campaign. The club finished second, 11 points behind champions Inter Milan and didn't reach the Champions League knockout stages, prompting Conte to call it a day.‌The former Chelsea and Tottenham head coach announced his departure at the end of the season, and in an interview with Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, De Bruyne did not hold back.JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page“I actually thought it was pretty good at the beginning, and even when I came back, it was at a pretty good level," he said. "It was difficult for me, of course, because Conte has a very different vision of football than I do; we shouldn't beat around the bush about that."‌He added: "I was never really able to play in my position. It is what it is. I always gave my all. I played quite a lot, even after my injury, so for me, everything is actually fine.“We play very defensively. If you score one goal every match in a 5-4-1 (formation).... That’s not so great. At the start of the year, we also play really, really deep. Our top scorer has 10 goals, so yeah, you know the stats aren't there, but in terms of level and football, I thought it was pretty okay.‌"Am I happy that Conte is leaving? For me, yes. As far as I’m concerned, he didn’t have to stay."Rasmus Hojlund netted 12 times following his move from Manchester United, while ex-United midfielder Scott McTominay continued his impressive form by finding the net on 10 occasions. De Bruyne, meanwhile, managed five goals and four assists."It's been an honour, really special to coach Napoli. It's been two great seasons, an exceptional experience," Conte said when announcing his departure. "It was my decision, I told the chairman a few weeks ago. Napoli will always be home."Article continues belowJoin our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.