KDB: I can’t remember the final in Porto
BLUES ACE RELIVES PAINFUL NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL
KEVIN de Bruyne has no really bad memories of his nightmare Champions League final – in fact, he barely has any memory of it whatsoever.
The City midfielder was led from the field in the second half after a nasty, unpunished challenge from Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger, which fractured his eye socket and led to him spending a night in hospital with concussion.
That was the start of a bad summer for the Blues ace, as he was also kicked out of the Euro 2020 finals, leaving him with a snapped ankle ligament that saw him miss the start of the Premier League season as well.
Losing in Porto was a shocker for the whole club, but for De Bruyne it was a serious double whammy, even if he can remember little of it.
“I don’t remember after the incident so there’s not a lot of memories,” he said ahead of tonight’s group game against Club
Brugge in Belgium. “We always try to maintain a high level, we always want to compete for titles, we did well last season, two semis and a final.
“These games you can lose, the opposition are very good, that night we lost and we moved on.
“I remember some chances in the first half, after the collision I don’t remember a lot, how I got into the hospital, I remember going back in the morning to the hotel at 10am still with my kit on.
“In sport it happens. It’s not the best thing to happen but you go on with it, get back as best as possible.
“It took some time, it was a bit painful but I feel much better now and I’m very happy about that.”
When he returned to the team hotel on the morning after the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea,, he was sought out by chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, who had spoken to the rest of the squad that morning but had a private chat with the Belgian when he returned from the hospital. “He said he was happy with how I contributed to the team and the year,” recalled De Bruyne. “He said we’d be back again to fight for the trophy.
“We weren’t in a good mood, I felt strange at the time. It was nice to hear that from the chairman because losing was a big blow. It was a positive, but short, conversation.
“In the Euros I was happy I could come back but the ankle injury happened. There’s nothing I can do, I got tackles and my ligament snapped.” Meanwhile, De Bruyne has sympathised with Raheem Sterling over his lack of minutes for City this year.
The forward was once one of the first names on every Pep Guardiola teamsheet but has tumbled down the pecking order since the derby in March,
I don’t remember after the incident so there’s not a lot of memories Kevin de Bruyne
starting just 10 of the last 26 matches since then.
While Sterling still sees a future for himself at the Etihad, the player used an interview last week to reluctantly open the door to an exit if he does not start being picked more regularly.
De Bruyne is one of the players who plays more often than not when he is fit, but acknowledged it is difficult for stars such as himself to be in a proper rhythm if they are not playing a string of games.
The fact City tend to win most weeks also makes it difficult to question selection decisions. All the players can do in those situations, according to De Bruyne, is support and help each other as team-mates.
“Obviously rotation is important because playing four competitions and mostly going far in that is a tough ask sometimes,” he said. “I understand the frustration because I’m a player and you have some players who need more rhythm to get into it and maybe Raz is somebody who needs that more. I’m a player who needs that also.
“Sometimes it is tough to play one game, one game not. Obviously it is the manager that has to make choices and it is very hard.
“We have a group of players, 22, 23 internationals who are unbelievable so whoever you pick you will be right a lot of the time. Whenever the team plays good, there’s not a lot of things you can say as a player.
“It can be frustrating but we also try to help each other. That’s the only thing we can do as players is help each other.”