De Bruyne had a 'response' after being confronted by Conte

When leaving the field, the 34-year-old star showed a gesture expressing disappointment towards Conte, which immediately sparked questions in the Italian media about the relationship between the two.

At the post-match press conference, Conte was asked about De Bruyne’s reaction. The coach, who previously managed Chelsea and Tottenham, answered frankly, explaining that he needed freshness in the attack and did not hesitate to send a warning to the Belgian star.

"I hope he is upset about the result; if not, then he has chosen the wrong person to blame," Conte stressed.

However, things returned to normal during the match against Sporting Lisbon. De Bruyne, one of the best playmakers in modern football, opened the scoring for Napoli with a clever through ball to Hojlund – a former Manchester United striker – who ran forward to score, marking his first Champions League goal for the Naples club.

De Bruyne bypassed two midfielders before delivering a pass that split the opponent’s defense. Hojlund, full of confidence, finished low past goalkeeper Rui Silva and celebrated emotionally.

The two former stars who had played for Manchester clubs then embraced, with the Danish striker not forgetting to thank his "senior" for the assist. By the 79th minute, a similar pattern repeated: De Bruyne crossed accurately for Hojlund to head the ball, pushing Napoli ahead 2-1 after Sporting had equalized.

"Kevin is a legend in this sport. When he has the ball, I always know he will deliver it exactly where I need it," Hojlund said after the match.

The 22-year-old forward – who caused Manchester United to spend £72 million two years ago – was forced to leave Old Trafford last summer after coach Ruben Amorim declared he was no longer in the plans.

Although he wanted to stay with the Red Devils, Hojlund moved to Napoli on loan. Since then, he has scored three goals in five games, including a Serie A goal, showing quick adaptation.

As for De Bruyne, he has been substituted in four of his first six appearances for Napoli since joining on a free transfer this summer. Most notably, during his return to Etihad in the Champions League match against Man City, he was taken off as early as the 26th minute after his team was down to ten men due to a red card.

Conte was understanding then, as the change was tactical. However, the incident in the Milan match was different: the Italian coach did not hesitate to firmly remind the 34-year-old star.

Despite the disagreements, everything seems to have been settled smoothly. Napoli defeated Sporting 2-1 to earn their first three points in the Champions League group stage, with De Bruyne and Hojlund becoming the new attacking partnership.