By Jake Bayliss,Maria Ortega

Copyright manchestereveningnews

Kevin De Bruyne’s move from Manchester City to Napoli has not been without challenges. The 34-year-old left City as a legend this summer , but entered a new environment under Napoli boss Antonio Conte . De Bruyne was expected to instantly thrive after signing for the reigning Serie A champions . However, the Belgian midfielder quickly found himself under the spotlight after being substituted in several games, including during the first half upon his return to the Etihad Stadium in August after his team were reduced to 10 men. The situation appeared to come to a head during Napoli’s 2-1 loss to AC Milan last weekend, where De Bruyne showed visible frustration and ignored his manager after being replaced by Eljif Elmas in the 72nd minute. “I hope De Bruyne was upset about the substitution because of the result, because otherwise he’s got the wrong guy,” Conte said post-match. The incident remained a hot topic as Napoli prepared for their midweek Champions League game against Sporting Lisbon. Ahead of the match, Conte gave an ominous warning, suggesting he would not accept a repeat of De Bruyne’s behaviour. “Those who know me know very well what my point of view is on the management (of the squad), on certain behaviours,” Conte told Sky Italia . “Those who don’t know me can make mistakes. “It’s up to me to clarify the situation and repeat certain concepts so that it is clear to everyone that I accept a first mistake, but not a second.” Conte’s words fuelled fears that De Bruyne’s arrival had caused an imbalance in the club’s title-winning team. Former Napoli general manager Pierpaolo Marino argued that the City icon had already created a problem in Naples . “Is De Bruyne there or is he a reminder of what he used to be? So far he hasn’t had a say on a free kick or a penalty and De Bruyne is now a problem for Conte,” Marino told TeleVomero . “If he gets simple things wrong, then you see how merciless the comparison with Modric [against Milan] was, who at 40 has achieved what De Bruyne hasn’t done so far at Napoli. Napoli have changed a midfield that worked very well for De Bruyne and at the moment it doesn’t work.” It meant there were plenty of eyes on De Bruyne when he stepped out against Sporting on Wednesday, and the veteran midfielder provided the perfect response. The Belgium international provided two assists for Manchester United loanee Rasmus Hojlund as the Italian side enjoyed a 2-1 victory. After the match, De Bruyne dismissed claims of an ongoing rift with his new manager: “There’s never been any problem with Conte,” he told Sky Italia . “I’m a winner, I want to make a difference on the pitch. A lot has been said in recent days, but the truth is that there’s no problem: I just want to play and have fun.” For his part, Conte also insisted that any issues had been resolved: “What there was to understand, I understood, everything has been clarified,” he said. “Good accounts make good friends, as we say in my country, this matter is closed.” Despite the criticism he has faced, De Bruyne has made a positive impact on Napoli. The City legend has scored three goals and provided two assists in seven games for his new club. Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories. And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts , and you can also watch along on YouTube .