Conte: De Bruyne forced me to develop my ideas

Napoli coach Antonio Conte expressed his excitement about facing Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the Champions League, stressing that he has developed his football knowledge during his time with the Italian team by searching for the right balance to integrate Kevin De Bruyne into the squad . Conte told Sky Sport Italia: "The Champions League evokes special emotions; it is the most important European competition and gives us the opportunity to play in such great stadiums. I have visited the stadium before with Chelsea and Tottenham, but this is my first time against Manchester City in Europe." He added: "Our absence from Europe last season allowed us to focus on the domestic league and snatch the title from Inter by a single point. We know that Napoli has never beaten an English team in the Champions League, and this shows the magnitude of the challenge, especially against a club like Manchester City, who have achieved almost everything in recent years under an exceptional coach." He continued: "We came with a great deal of humility, but also with a clear desire to understand where we really stand. We are at the beginning of a new project. We didn't have the opportunity to test ourselves in Europe last season, and we start with a difficult match against Manchester City, but we are excited to take on this test and learn from the big teams in the competition." Conte emphasized that he has changed as a coach since leaving Tottenham, especially since taking over at Napoli: "The biggest achievement for me is what I started here last season, where I sought to develop my football knowledge. Coaches must select the most talented players for the team, not sacrifice creativity for the sake of order or remain captive to rigid ideas." He explained: "Previously, I stuck to fixed plans like the 3-5-2 or 3-4-2-1, which I achieved success with at Chelsea and Tottenham. But with the arrival of De Bruyne at Napoli, we worked on finding a formula that allows the most talented players to be integrated into a single system." Regarding the current style of play, he said: "I won't specify precisely, but it's safe to say that we rely on a defensive four with flexibility to switch between plans. In modern football, you defend in one way and attack in another, so as not to give the opponent any fixed reference." He concluded: "I know that the season is long and we will have to change a lot, but I want to continue on this brave and difficult path. Facing Manchester City will be the perfect test to determine the true gap between us and one of the greatest teams in the world."