Is Manchester City really going to discard Kevin De Bruyne (34, Man City)?
Manchester City (hereinafter referred to as Man City) lost 1-3 to Real Madrid in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 playoffs for the 2024-2025 season, held at Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, Spain, on the 20th (Korea time). After losing 2-3 in the first leg, Man City was confirmed to be eliminated with two losses. Real advanced to the Round of 16.
Manchester City lined up in a 4-4-2 formation. Up front, Omar Marmoush and Sabinyu were positioned, while Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gündoğan, Nico González, and Phil Foden occupied the midfield. Josko Gvardiol, Rúben Dias, John Stones, and Abdulkadir Husanov formed the defense, with Ederson guarding the goal.
Kylian Mbappé erupted with a hat-trick, bringing down Man City. Man City's pride as Premier League champions crumbled. In the 47th minute of the second half, Nico González scored a consolation goal, but it was already after a three-goal deficit.
Man City's playmaker Kevin De Bruyne was on the substitute list but did not play. There are suspicions that Man City deliberately did not let De Bruyne play amid recent transfer rumors. De Bruyne wants a contract renewal, but Man City plans to part ways with him.
After the match, Coach Guardiola clarified questions about whether he intentionally left De Bruyne out. He explained, "De Bruyne is not injured. It was my decision. I still believe he can play in big matches."
Then, why was De Bruyne, who still has competitiveness, not allowed to play in the most important match? Guardiola gave an ambiguous answer, stating, "My relationship with De Bruyne is excellent. There are various reasons that led to the decision to leave him out."
It is not that there is discord between Guardiola and De Bruyne. However, he did not adequately explain the reason for excluding him from the most important match against Real.
From De Bruyne's perspective, trust with the club and coach could be broken.
[OSEN=서정환 기자]