Kevin De Bruyne silences fat shamers with Napoli masterclass

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 10 Aug 2025 10:42 BST
• 4 min read

News

Kevin De Bruyne has silenced the doubters who have mocked his physical condition with a stunning performance for Napoli on Saturday evening.

De Bruyne joined Napoli this summer on a free transfer after his contract expired at Manchester City.

Current ETV

Kevin De Bruyne

AM, M (C)

Napoli

Kevin De Bruyne

AM, M (C)

Napoli

€14.5M

ETV Range

€13.1M - €16M

View full profile

Despite the Belgian being one of the legends of football, questions have been asked of his physical condition during Napoli's preparations for the new season.

De Bruyne physical condition questioned

A number of photos and videos, especially earlier in pre-season, have circulated showing De Bruyne in less than optimal shape.

This has led to some supporters of rival teams mocking the 34-year-old for being overweight. Others have pointed out that De Bruyne clearly has been enjoying Naples' legendary cuisine a little too much.

One video went viral this week showing De Bruyne tripping over the ball in training, which again fed this narrative further.

However, De Bruyne produced the perfect response to the doubters on Saturday evening with a masterclass in the 3-2 friendly win over Girona.

De Bruyne assisted the opener for Giovanni De Lorenzo, before lashing home two goals of his own - all in the first 23 minutes.

This quickly removed any doubts over De Bruyne's form and excited Napoli fans ahead of the new season.

The Italian side under Antonio Conte are reigning Serie A champions after winning the fourth Scudetto in the club's history in May.

De Bruyne has won 24 trophies in his club career and this week underlined his ambition to reach 25 at Napoli.

The Belgian enjoyed a legendary 10 years at Man City, making 422 appearances, scoring 108 goals and winning six Premier League titles and a Champions League among his honours. He was twice named Premier League Player of the Season.

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