Key Takeaways:
- On Sunday, Kevin De Bruyne displayed visible frustration after being substituted during Napoli’s Serie A match against Milan
- Antonio Conte addressed the entire Napoli squad, cautioning that similar behaviour will only be tolerated once
- Conte’s assistant, Gabriele Oriali, later held a separate conversation with De Bruyne regarding the incident
Conte Addresses the Squad after De Bruyne’s Reaction
Antonio Conte, head coach of Napoli, responded to Kevin De Bruyne’s public displeasure at being substituted during Sunday’s Serie A away fixture against Milan by delivering a stern message to the entire squad. Despite De Bruyne’s display of frustration on the touchline, Conte opted against speaking directly with the Belgian midfielder on Monday. Instead, he delivered a group address, as reported by Italian outlets such as Gazzetta, Corriere dello Sport, and SportMediaset.
Conte on De Bruyne getting mad at being subbed:
🗣️ “I hope he was upset about the result… because if he was upset about something else, then he’s dealing with the wrong person.”
Uh oh… pic.twitter.com/eC2oEfaRUV
— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) September 29, 2025
Team Meeting and Disciplinary Message
During this team gathering, Corriere dello Sport reports that Conte made it clear there would be zero tolerance for such conduct moving forward, telling his players that this type of behaviour will be permitted “only once.” The same source indicates that De Bruyne listened to Conte’s words but did not respond in the meeting.
Further Conversations and Conte’s Public Comments
According to SportMediaset, Gabriele Oriali, Conte’s primary collaborator, subsequently engaged De Bruyne in a separate discussion, stressing that further protests of this nature will not be accepted. Conte had already articulated his standpoint during the post-match press conference on Sunday night, stating, “if De Bruyne was ‘upset for the substitution,’ he had ‘picked the wrong person.’”
| Event | Details |
|---|---|
| Incident Date | Sunday (Serie A match vs Milan) |
| Player Involved | Kevin De Bruyne |
| Coach’s Response | Team warning, individual conversation via assistant |
| Assistant Involved | Gabriele Oriali |
