Three days after alienating the fans, Kevin De Bruyne (33 years old since Friday) explained himself at length during a 30-minute “old-fashioned” interview in the castle next to the Devils’ hotel in Ludwigsburg.I accepted the whistles. But I saw gestures from supporters that were intolerable. If I make such a gesture to you in the street, you won’t accept it either.”
Like every other year with the exception of 2022 with the Winter World Cup in Qatar, De Bruyne celebrated his birthday during a big tournament with the Devils. “With a small piece of pie. And for the rest, I played a little golf and did exercises in the gym. No, I didn’t watch the match against Ukraine again. I never rewatch matches I played myself.”
“I would do the same thing again, but they will support us on Monday”
KDB returned in detail to the sad scene at the end of the match against Ukraine. “In fact, I hadn’t heard the whistles during the end of the match, like during the moments when I gave the corners in stoppage time. I was still in my match. That’s when Jan (Vertonghen) went to the fans and I saw some things, I intervened. If I had to do it again, I would make the same decision. I made a decision (Editor’s note: no longer greeting the supporters) which seemed acceptable to me for the whole group. The other players supported me almost unanimously and so did the coach. People may not agree with me, you can’t please everyone. I understand people’s disappointment that we didn’t win the match. I accept the criticism: we weren’t good enough. But there are limits that must not be crossed. And I know that the gestures did not come from all of our supporters, but still from a large part. No, I don’t have the impression that there will be consequences against France. I believe that both the team and the fans will do everything to win this match. I’m not too worried. However, I cannot guarantee that we will win. But I can guarantee them that I will give everything.”
“We have the qualities to hurt France”
Another image that created a buzz after the match against Ukraine: Kevin who – in the circle with the other players and staff – shouts out loud: “We can beat them, d…!” On balance, KDB maintains that the Devils have a chance. “We mustn’t talk nonsense: France are favourites. But we have the qualities to hurt them. We have to survive the difficult moments and enjoy our good moments. If we didn’t believe in it, we could have already packed our bags. The difference with the previous matches is that there will be less pressure on our shoulders.”
“If we win, Tedesco is the best in the world”
If Belgium is swept aside, Domenico Tedesco can expect to be singled out. Does De Bruyne think he made the right choices at this Euro? “In any case, our style of play is often positive. If we get eliminated, there will definitely be criticism. But if we win against France, Domenico Tedesco will be the best coach in the world. There are always situations where we can say that the coach made the wrong choice. I also experienced this with Pep (Guardiola)with Mourinho, with Hecking (in Wolfsburg) and sheep (Bream). Sometimes you also have to accept that opponents have a good plan to counter us, which prevents us from getting into the game. What if I don’t want to give Tedesco a tactical helping hand? No, thanks! (laughs) I already have enough things to do. Sometimes he asks my opinion, like Pep, but I don’t talk from morning to evening with the tactics coach. Maybe he talks more about it with Romelu.”
“I had anticipated the problems in Qatar”
Both journalists and players have the feeling that De Bruyne is more cheerful than in Qatar. “I am someone who is very demanding of myself and my team. I was already like that at Genk when I was 17. I am also like that in everyday life. At home, I do not tolerate any mistakes. Otherwise I get frustrated. I often get frustrated during a match, but that is due to my competitive mentality. Of course, the tournament would not be successful if we were eliminated. But in hindsight, I might end up accepting elimination. In 2018, our players played in bigger clubs and the team was therefore stronger. In 2022, we still had the talent to achieve something beautiful, but we failed. However, I tried to change things because I had foreseen the problems. Now we have a team with potential but which is younger. Maybe in two or four years, we will be as strong as in 2018.”
“My future as a Devil? Not thought about yet…”
After Belgium – Ukraine, there were fears that the incident with the fans could push De Bruyne into premature retirement from the national team. “I haven’t made a decision about it yet. I don’t think the fans were targeting me personally. It’s possible that I’ll still be here in 2026, it’s possible that I won’t be here anymore. Right now I feel good. As long as that’s the case, I’ll probably be available. But I don’t know how I will feel next year. The English Pro League has calculated that we will have a season with 85 matches, with the new Champions League and the Club World Cup. I won’t play every match, but still. You have to be ready physically but also mentally. The best part is having seven to ten days off during the international break. So I haven’t thought about what I’m going to do yet.”
“I haven’t spoken with anyone in Saudi Arabia”
De Bruyne talks about Manchester City as if there was no question of leaving, even though he only has one year left on his contract. “I know that my interview with Aster (Nzeyimana, de VTM) at the start of the rally caused a lot of ink to flow. (De Bruyne had indicated that he is open to a departure to Saudi Arabia). I read a lot afterward, but I haven’t talked to anyone at the moment. And it’s true that City don’t retain older players when they get a good offer. Riyad Mahrez received an incredible offer and he left. I haven’t received an offer yet. I suppose in the coming months I will sit around the table with City to talk about the future. I understand that City want to wait, given the injury I had. Summer will be very calm. I’m going on vacation and I’ll start again with City. What if I’m tempted by an exotic adventure? Maybe I won’t have another offer…”
“I have more than enough money, but in case of a crazy offer…”
If De Bruyne goes to Saudi Arabia, he would receive 150 million over two years. Without confirming the figures, KDB says on this subject: “I have more than enough money, but sometimes they offer really crazy amounts of money. I don’t think about myself, but about my family, my children, my grandchildren. You can’t imagine this situation until you have the offer in front of you.”
“My sons think they are better than me”
Photos of KDB with his children after each match went around the world. “I don’t do it for myself, I do it to please my children. When I don’t go and pick them up, they react differently. They don’t come to every City game – it depends on the time – but the Euros are something special. Luckily my eight-year-old wasn’t there against Ukraine. I think he would have understood what was going on, but I would have had a lot of work explaining it all to him. My five-year-old is obsessed with football. They realise their dad is a good footballer, but in their eyes they are better than me. (laughs)“
“Forced to go on private vacation”
Family life for the De Bruynes is not as simple as that, given the father’s global fame.We adapted. We don’t do things that ordinary people do. When we go on vacation, we have to take a place that we privatize. I could go to an amusement park with my children, but hey… (laughs) When I train with City in August, my children usually go to the Belgian coast with my in-laws.”
