Akanji backs – Manuel Akanji says Kevin De Bruyne can still make a major impact in Italian football in 2026-27, pointing to injury-ravaged first-season luck at Napoli. His comments come as Napoli wait for Massimiliano Allegri to end his contract with Milan before taking over
When Manuel Akanji talks about Kevin De Bruyne, he does it with the kind of certainty that comes from seeing a teammate up close. The Inter defender also doesn’t dress up the disappointment from De Bruyne’s first season in Italy.
Akanji insisted the Belgian can still have a “significant impact” in Italian football in 2026-27. calling De Bruyne an “extraordinary player” and a “great friend.” He said the problem wasn’t talent—it was timing and injury. Akanji pointed to a long spell sidelined by injury. adding that when De Bruyne returned. the title race was already decided.
He also made a personal wish clear. “I would like to face Belgium and play against him, as it hasn’t happened often so far,” Akanji said—an ambition that lands differently when you remember how hard De Bruyne’s early Napoli experience has been to measure.
That storyline still lingers in Italy, and not only because of the injury. Just a few weeks earlier. De Bruyne sparked outrage in Italian football after saying he was happy Antonio Conte had left Napoli. The backlash followed quickly. with Conte’s former assistant. Cristian Stellini. responding by saying De Bruyne had never shown enthusiasm during his first season at the Stadio Maradona.
Akanji’s comments sit beside that dispute without needing to argue with it directly. First season, injury, and a title race that moved on—then De Bruyne’s words, the backlash they triggered, and now a chance for his next chapter to be judged on the pitch.
Napoli are meanwhile focused on who steers that next chapter. The club is waiting for Massimiliano Allegri to be released from Milan. Technically, Allegri is still under contract with the Rossoneri following his sacking at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
Napoli say they have reached an agreement with an experienced Italian coach and are holding off on starting his tenure at the Stadio Maradona until he terminates his contract with Milan.
Manuel Akanji Kevin De Bruyne Napoli Massimiliano Allegri Milan Serie A 2026-27 Stadio Maradona Cristian Stellini Antonio Conte