Pep Guardiola breaks silence on Kevin De Bruyne’s dismay over Manchester City exit | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola has made an honest admission on Manchester City’s decision to let Kevin De Bruyne leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season.

De Bruyne will play his final game in a Manchester City shirt against Fulham on the final day of the Premier League campaign – after the 33-year-old was given an emotional farewell at the Etihad Stadium following a 3-1 win over Bournemouth in midweek.

The Belgium international is set to travel to Italy in the next few weeks to finalise a two-year contract with Napoli, which means Manchester City will be without the playmaker when they travel to the United States to play in the FIFA Club World Cup in June.

In an interview with TNT Mexico ahead of Sunday’s league clash away at Fulham, Pep Guardiola gave his honest thoughts on De Bruyne’s exit from the Etihad Stadium and how things have been between him and the Belgian since.

“When the decision is shared and both agree, it’s easier. When it’s not, because Kevin (De Bruyne) would have liked to stay (at Manchester City) and the club decides not to, it’s always difficult,” Guardiola said, as quoted by the Manchester Evening News.

“It’s many years, many days, many training sessions, many games, many joys and many bad moments; so many things that come together in a moment when you’ll never be together again.

“Obviously, they’ll be there when we see each other, but in the day-to-day, when you go to the chat and see that place where he (De Bruyne) was sitting – Oh God, he’s not there anymore.”

De Bruyne and Guardiola were reduced to tears on Tuesday evening as tributes poured in from the former’s Manchester City teammates from over the years – as Leroy Sane, Vincent Kompany, Sergio Aguero, Pablo Zabaleta and Fernandinho all sent in emotional messages to thank De Bruyne for his services to the club.

Guardiola added: “I talked to him (De Bruyne) about how happy he must be, that he received an insulting amount of love!

“Leaving this way is very good because titles are very good, all the great actions are very good, but receiving this connection of feeling so loved, this is priceless.

“This is what takes you. I mean, the doors are open here for what he (De Bruyne) wants. He will always be remembered as one of the greatest, if not the greatest.

“And this goes, when you go to a job for a decade, you arrive, you’re here, you don’t know what’s going to happen, and you leave the way you leave after 10 years having won everything and winning again and in this way feeling so loved, it’s let’s say the happy ending we all wish for, the truth is that we all have it in our jobs.

“He (De Bruyne) had it and it’s what has to stay, and he’s convinced the new chapter. And that he has to take it, he’ll do it well and be the best.”