Latest news with #KevinDeBruyne
IOL News
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Kevin De Bruyne celebrates his wedding anniversary in Mpumalanga while supporting youth football
Belgian footballer, Kevin De Bruyne, with his wife and kids. Image: Instagram Belgian football star Kevin De Bruyne has added a touch of glamour to the scenic beauty of Mpumalanga, South Africa. The former Manchester City midfielder is currently on a visit that mixes personal celebration with a commitment to youth development. Spotted by fans amidst the region's stunning natural landscapes, De Bruyne took to Instagram to commemorate his 8th anniversary with his wife, Michèle De Bruyne. In the heartfelt post, he expressed his love, stating, 'Celebrating our 8-year anniversary. Love you❤️ @lacroixmichele.' Mpumalanga is a renowned haven for nature lovers, featuring celebrated landmarks such as the Kruger National Park and the Blyde River Canyon. These attractions, coupled with the Panorama Route's breathtaking waterfalls and unique rock formations, create an idyllic backdrop for the couple's anniversary festivities. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading While the anniversary celebrations may take centre stage, De Bruyne's mission in South Africa holds equal importance. The 33-year-old midfielder is in the country to support and promote the KDB Cup, an international under-15 football tournament that he founded. This initiative aims to nurture the next generation of football talent, showcasing De Bruyne's commitment to giving back to the sport. Fans in Acornhoek, a local township in Mpumalanga, showed their love for the star footballer as he visited a local school. A video also showcased De Bruyne engaging with excited local children, playing diski (a traditional South African football game) whilst imparting valuable skills on how to score. These joyful interactions with the youth underscore his role as both a professional athlete and a mentor. Interestingly, De Bruyne's connection to Africa runs deeper than his current visit. His mother, Anna, was born in East Africa, where her family owned oil companies, and she later lived in Ivory Coast. This African heritage adds a layer of cultural richness to De Bruyne's identity, as he has previously garnered interest in representing Burundi at the international level. De Bruyne's personal life is filled with affection as well. Having met his wife on Twitter (now X) in 2014, the couple tied the knot in 2017 and are now parents to three children: two sons and a daughter. In a touching 2019 interview with The Players' Tribune, he paid tribute to Michèle, acknowledging her profound impact on his life, saying, 'She changed my life in so many ways. Honestly, I don't know what I would do without her.' For De Bruyne, she remains the most significant person in his world. As Kevin De Bruyne enjoys the beauty of Mpumalanga alongside his wife, he also passionately works to inspire future generations of footballers, blending the personal and professional into a remarkable journey of love and commitment.
BBC News
18 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Silva praises 'one of biggest honours of my career'
Bernardo Silva says being handed the Manchester City captaincy is "probably one of the biggest honours" of his Portugal midfielder has taken over from the departed Kevin de Bruyne and will have been at City for a decade when his contract expires next summer"I'm going to start my ninth season at the club," he said. "All that experience, I will try to pass to the younger guys. But leadership in a team is not about one guy. It's about each one of us being our own leader and helping the guy next to us in the dressing room."I will need that to help the team achieve a lot of things and hopefully win titles."The 30-year-old played 75 minutes against Juventus in the Club World Cup on Thursday and said the 5-2 victory is 'a good sign for next season'. "We've always been potential winners in all competitions that we play," he explained."Obviously it's just one game but we're happy that the performance was the way it was. It shows that we're improving, we're coming back to the levels and to the standards that we got people used to at this club. That's a good sign for next season. "We had a very good performance against a tough team. They showed that in the past, they beat us last season. We wanted to prove that what happened last season will not happen this season."
Forbes
2 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
How Surprise Arsenal Loan Exposed The Price Of Sterling's Decline
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 14: Raheem Sterling of Arsenal during a training session at Emirates Stadium ... More on May 14, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images) Some video messages from old friends were played during Kevin De Bruyne's tearful Manchester City farewell at the Etihad Stadium. Speaking from the stadium's big screens, club legends, from Pablo Zabaleta to Sergio Aguero, wished him well as the midfielder watched on with his family. Most messages were recorded humorously on phones from home, so it was odd to suddenly see a man wearing an Arsenal training jersey in a professionally lit boardroom. 'Yes, Kevin De Bruyne, it's Raheem [Sterling] here. Just wanted to send you a message and a little bit of love,' the former City winger said in his unmistakable North West London tones. 'Obviously arriving to the club at the same time, we spent a lot of time together, our families together. I know how much of a wonderful person you are. Top guy; don't say much, but when he does, it's normally funny. 'Over the last 10 years at Manchester City, what you have achieved is quite incredible - how you've led the team.' Sterling, of course, chose to leave North West England three years ago and joined Chelsea. At the time, the move was pitched to the media as Sterling's plan to hoover up soccer's biggest international prizes, having conquered England repeatedly with City. 'I've obviously achieved a lot in my career so far, but there is still so much more to achieve, and I'm really looking forward to doing that in a Chelsea shirt under Thomas's management,' he said in his unveiling. It was suggested to the media that he wanted to win the Ballon d'Or and Champions League, and, still only 27, there seemed plenty of opportunity for him to achieve such goals. Chelsea had only beaten Manchester City in the final of Europe's top competition a year earlier and were preparing under new ownership for another tilt at glory. But things haven't gone to plan at all. First, Chelsea imploded- it fired the man who brought him in, Thomas Tuchel replaced him with Graham Potter, and embarked on the wildest transfer sprees in living memory. Weighed down by a bloated squad, the club tanked and has been miles off the level they were at when Sterling arrived. The trouble for the Londoner is that this decline has tracked with a personal drop in form. When current coach Enzo Maresca walked in the door last summer, the ownership had decided he was one of the players who needed to move on. Salvation came in the form of an unlikely loan move to title challengers Arsenal. It represented a step up and a chance to prove he could still mix it with the best in the country. But he has barely played and failed to impress in the few moments he was given an opportunity. As BBC reporter Nizaar Kinsella pointed out, it was a move he had to make. 'He risked rotting in Chelsea's 'bomb squad' late last summer before being given the chance to go to Arsenal,' he wrote last month. 'Unfortunately, he hasn't played well there, but it can't have helped that he has effectively been used as an emergency backup by Mikel Arteta, with the club never likely to sign him permanently. 'I don't actually think Sterling played too badly for Tuchel, Graham Potter or Mauricio Pochettino, but he is a victim of circumstance. 'He looks likely for another loan spell somewhere next summer, in my opinion, given clubs won't want to pay his full wage. 'It's also worth noting that Sterling has rejected the chance to move to Saudi Arabia in the past.' Step Down To Step Up COBHAM, ENGLAND - AUGUST 13: Raheem Sterling of Chelsea during a session at Chelsea Training Ground ... More on August 13, 2024 in Cobham, England. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images) It's a sign of how far the former England star has fallen that the clubs he's now being linked with are decidedly mid-table. 'He's 30 now, but maybe a club like Fulham could give him that opportunity and more chances to play,' former Gunners defender William Gallas said in an interview with Casino Games. 'I think it's time for a fresh challenge for Sterling. 'I think one of Arteta's biggest mistakes has been a lack of rotation at times because they have picked up injuries. 'You have to give players a rest at certain times, but with Sterling, he must be frustrated; maybe he will want to stay in the Premier League and in London.' On a salary of $409,000 per week, finding a club with pockets deep enough to foot that bill won't be easy. It's been reported that Sterling has been training intensely alone as he seeks a buyer. He was left out of Chelsea's Club World Cup squad. The concern is that he's already cooked, as Jonathan Wilson suggested in The Guardian earlier this year. He claimed that Sterling's decline is related to the more than 500 games the player's legs racked up. 'His decline has been startling; when the body starts to go, everything else that sustains a player at the highest level tails off too,' Wilson wrote. 'It's a reminder of just how high a level Premier League footballers habitually operate at, just how fragile their excellence often is, how quickly a small decline can become a huge one. 'Sterling is only 30, but it's hard to avoid the conclusion that, at the highest level, he is finished. The law of 500 has struck again.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Liverpool ‘Held Conversation' with Man City Star Before Signing Florian Wirtz in £116m Deal
Liverpool's Wirtz Move Signals Long-Term Vision over Short-Term Sentiment Liverpool's £100 million signing of Florian Wirtz marks more than a marquee acquisition, it's a calculated declaration that the Premier League champions are not settling after last season's triumph under Arne Slot. With £16 million in add-ons potentially to follow, the total package for Bayer Leverkusen's crown jewel could reach a record-breaking £116 million. Advertisement That level of commitment wasn't made lightly. It required a firm decision to pursue elite potential over elite past. And while the move has been largely praised across the footballing landscape, what's equally intriguing is who Liverpool passed on to get here. According to The Athletic, Liverpool held 'a short conversation' with Kevin De Bruyne's camp, exploring a bold yet fleeting opportunity to land one of the Premier League's greatest modern midfielders as a free agent. Photo: IMAGO De Bruyne Talks Were Brief But Not Baseless On paper, it's easy to see the temptation. A lifelong Liverpool fan. A serial winner. A playmaker who redefined the number 10 role in England. Advertisement With 108 goals and 177 assists across 422 appearances for Manchester City, De Bruyne would have brought experience and elite quality. However, at 33 and no longer as physically reliable, his profile didn't align with the future-facing rebuild Arne Slot has subtly begun to shape. 'The Athletic's Manchester City correspondent, Sam Lee, reports that there was a 'short conversation' between the club and De Bruyne's camp,' but it never evolved into a serious negotiation. De Bruyne's presence, while symbolically powerful, would likely have come at a substantial financial cost and potentially disrupted the dressing room dynamics. A rotational role was reportedly all that Liverpool were considering, and that wouldn't have satisfied a player seeking regular minutes abroad. Wirtz the Chosen Creative Centrepiece Instead, Slot and the recruitment team pivoted decisively. Florian Wirtz offers youth, versatility, and an already world-class level of intelligence on the ball. At just 22, his ceiling is far from reached and his creative spark suits Liverpool's evolving tactical identity. Advertisement Wirtz's signing represents continuity with Liverpool's modern ethos of acquiring top-level talent before they reach global superstardom. The Reds have outmanoeuvred the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester City to get their man. To beat those competitors is no small feat. It reflects a club willing to outlay serious money for a player who could define the next five to seven years of football at Anfield. Future-Proofing Over Nostalgia Some may have seen De Bruyne in red as a romantic nod to his childhood allegiance, but Liverpool chose pragmatism. They're not in the business of legacy contracts, even for one of the league's most iconic playmakers. Advertisement Ultimately, had both players arrived, Wirtz's prominence would have relegated De Bruyne to an occasional option. Given recent injury issues, it is not unreasonable to assume Liverpool saw more risk than reward. The club's focus remains on sustained success. Bringing in a young, elite-tier playmaker who's already shone in both domestic and European competition is a fitting next step. As Liverpool prepare to defend their Premier League crown, their ambition is clear. Wirtz is not just a signing for now, but a cornerstone for what comes next. Our View – Anfield Index Analysis No one on Merseyside will be shocked to hear the Reds had a quick word with Kevin De Bruyne's representatives. That's just smart business. If a world-class free agent knocks on your door, you answer, even if only for a chat. Advertisement But we're not in 2020 anymore. De Bruyne is still brilliant, but his body isn't. As fans, we've already lived through big names arriving past their peak – and it rarely works out. If Liverpool are going to spend big wages, it better be on someone who can start 40 games, not 20. Florian Wirtz is a dream signing. Young, dynamic, technically elite and already proven at the top level. To beat the likes of Madrid and Bayern shows we're serious. This isn't just reactionary recruitment – it's part of a larger strategy. Arne Slot's system needs players like Wirtz, not players clinging to what they used to be. There's respect for De Bruyne's legacy, no doubt. But this summer, Liverpool made the right call – and it wasn't a sentimental one. We're building something sustainable again, not chasing nostalgia.
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Kevin De Bruyne 'held transfer talks with Liverpool' as Man City impact emerges
Kevin De Bruyne has decided to join Napoli after ending his almost decade-long stint with Manchester City and is said to have spoken to Liverpool about his future earlier this year Kevin De Bruyne had a conversation with Liverpool before committing to Napoli this summer. The midfielder's contract was left to expire by Manchester City after the playmaker played a prominent role in the club's successes under Pep Guardiola. De Bruyne signed for City almost a decade ago in then club-record deal for £55million. The Belgian had indicated that he would like to stay at the club this summer, but the team's hierarchy ultimately decided his journey would come to a closer. That left De Bruyne in a position to consider his options, and while Napoli ultimately proved persuasive, the 33-year-old had alternative discussions. A 'short conversation' occurred with Liverpool, while Juventus enquired over a move and Inter Milan were unable to find space in their squad, as per the Athletic. But the choice came down to Chicago Fire and Napoli with the Serie A side winning out. And Manchester City may have even played a role in aiding De Bruyne's decision. It is reported that De Bruyne was in-part motivated to opt for Napoli in order to prove City wrong for letting him go. The Champions League and the opportunity to play under Antonio Conte were said to be decisive factors. De Bruyne noted earlier this year that he was 'surprised but I just have to accept it' after City made their decision. The veteran told the club he still had a lot to give but never received an offer. De Bruyne's move to Napoli was announced early in June as a picture of the Belgium international alongside Napoli club president Aurelio De Laurentiis was posted. The Premier League legend included a short message to his new club: "Sono qui." That translates to 'I am here' in English. De Laurentiis also posted the photograph on his social media pages, along with the comment: "Benvenuto Kevin!" That translates into 'Welcome Kevin' in English. De Bruyne will hope to have as big an impact as Scott McTominay following his move to Napoli last summer. The Scotland international helped the club to Serie A glory and earned the accolade of being named the Italian top-flight's Player of the Year.
