Once Again King: De Bruyne Crowned in Naples

Kevin De Bruyne has been reborn at 35. Scoring twice in his team's 3-0 win over Frosinone, the Belgian showed his abilities in a deeper midfield role close to the defensive midfielder.

Kevin De Bruyne, who was born in Drogon in 1991, did not have a dream start in Napoli. In a season plagued by injuries and a lack of coordination with Antonio Conte, the former Manchester City player managed just five goals and four assists in 21 games.

At 35, he seemed more removed from the territory that took Diego Armando Maradona to his peak. The Belgian international, who even had doubts about his continued presence, said: "I'm happy that Conte is leaving. It would not be ideal for me if he stayed. I still have a year left on my contract, but I want to talk about it. "A lot of things depend on the club's chosen strategy."

These statements provoked a strong reaction from Giovanni Mana. "De Bruyne has no decision to make," Napoli's sporting director said. He joined the project last year and signed a two-year contract with a one-year extension option. He had a difficult year and performed below his potential, but he has been an important financial and branding investment for the club."

Step by step and with the presence of Max Allegri on the bench, De Bruyne has become the same De Bruyne as always. He scored and assisted a goal in the victory against Genoa (0-2) and just before traveling to Spain to meet Villarreal in the Champions League, he showed off his abilities by scoring two goals in the victory against Frosinone (3-0).

Paradoxically, he did this by playing close behind alongside Lobotka in Allegri's 2-4-3-1 system. De Bruyne scored the first goal from the penalty spot in the 29th minute and finished the job in the 94th minute using Giovanni's pass.

Allegri said about him: "I think he is a fantastic player. Not just my opinion, but the truth. It will be even better if he starts playing in the defensive midfield position. "I told him if you play in this position you can extend your career by a few more years, but he doesn't like the position so much and prefers to play further forward, however he played a good game as always."

De Bruyne told Sky Sports after the game: "I've always played as eight or ten. This time I played in a different position, but it's not a problem. "I have been asked to play in different positions and because we have a lot of games ahead, I can do it."

His self-imposed exile is over. De Bruyne, who now has three goals and an assist, is smiling again. He says: "I never thought of leaving Napoli in the summer and I didn't talk to anyone about it. "When I say something, I'm very direct and clear, but people don't like that and they create controversy."

The only thing that is certain is that he feels more comfortable under the new tactical instructions. "Conte is very dry and more focused on professional relationships," he said. There is no connection with the players. Allegri, on the other hand, is calmer and more formal, and as far as I've seen, he places more importance on the personal connection."

Despite Napoli's erratic start in eighth, six points behind Inter and Lazio, he has not given up on the fight for the Scudetto: "Again we will have a very difficult match, although I think Inter are the main contenders."