Man City player left heartbroken and in tears after tough Pep Guardiola decision
A new behind-the-scenes documentary will give fans a closer look at Kevin De Bruyne’s emotional time leaving Manchester City during the second-to-last season of Pep Guardiola’s time as manager.
De Bruyne announced in April last year that he would leave City at the end of the 2024-25 season after 10 amazing years with the club. During his time there, the Belgian midfielder won six Premier League titles, five League Cups, two FA Cups, and a Champions League. His contract ended that summer, and he went on to join Serie A team Napoli.
When he made his announcement, De Bruyne said it was “time to say goodbye,” and hinted it wasn’t exactly the decision he wanted, saying “whether we like it or not.” This was later confirmed in a new four-part Amazon Prime Video documentary called ‘A Beautiful Obsession.’
According to a BBC report, De Bruyne was very emotional and even cried when he found out City wouldn’t renew his contract. The documentary also shows how this affected his family. Pep Guardiola, clearly emotional too, shared how hard it was for him to let De Bruyne go. “It kills me,” Guardiola said in the film. “Without Kevin, that period – forget about it. He was crying here [in the office]. Oh God. I have a lot of affection for that player. We shared incredible moments. Then you have to be more cold.”
A few weeks after his departure was confirmed, De Bruyne said he was surprised not to get a new contract offer. After a 2-0 City win against Everton, he said, “I haven’t had any offer the whole year, they just made a decision. Obviously, I was a bit surprised but I have to accept it. I still think I can perform at this level, like I’m showing, but clubs have to make decisions.” He added, “Maybe if the team had done better and I settled in normally last year, they might have made a different choice.” He also said, “I feel like I still have a lot to give. I know I’m not 25 anymore but I still feel I can do my job.”
As mentioned, De Bruyne moved to Napoli last summer. Although he battled injuries during the 2025-26 season, he scored five goals and made four assists in 21 games under coach Antonio Conte.