Antonio Conte, the head coach of Napoli, expressed his displeasure after the loss to Manchester City with a score of 2-0 in the opening of the group stage of the Champions League, asserting that the early red card was a direct cause of changing the course of the match, and he described what happened with Kevin De Bruyne as harsh fate.

Conte said: "We left the match with bitterness because the red card after 20 minutes ruined everything. We had prepared well for the match and started with high pressure that caused them problems, but playing with ten players for more than 75 minutes made things impossible."

Regarding De Bruyne's early substitution, he clarified: "Fate was harsh; last season we only received one red card, and today I had to sacrifice De Bruyne. I feel sorry for him because he lost the opportunity to play against his former team, but I had no other choice."

He added: "The players showed great spirit of sacrifice; we tried to hold on as much as possible and maintained our balance despite the numerical disadvantage. These matches sometimes force you to defend and rely on counterattacks."

Conte concluded his statements by saying: "I am satisfied with the spirit the team showed, and I left with positive impressions despite the defeat. The important thing is that we did not collapse against a strong opponent like Manchester City, and we will continue to work with confidence in our European journey."