De Bruyne wanted ‘public sessions’ to prove Jose wrong

Rob McCarthy
Kevin De Bruyne: Accused of having a poor workrate at Chelsea

Kevin De Bruyne has revealed that he wanted Chelsea’s training sessions to be open to the public after being accused of not trying by Jose Mourinho.

The Belgian playmaker made only two Premier League starts for the Londoners after his £7million switch from Genk in 2012 and was subsequently sent out on loan to Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen.

The 25-year-old was then sold to Wolfsburg for £18million before making a return to England when he joined Manchester City for an incredible £55million.

Looking back on his time at Stamford Bridge, De Bruyne reflected on Mourinho’s comments about his poor workrate.

“It is true that he said that in the press, yes,” he told France Football. “That I wasn’t doing what was needed in training. It was easy to say that because there was no-one to check it – the training sessions were closed to the public. But everyone knows I am not like that.

“I never let anyone put me down. I say what I have to say, with respect of course. But at that moment, I couldn’t do anything because he would have said I was lying and afterwards he would have used it. Did I ask for training to be done in public? I said it, yes, but not to him personally.”

De Bruyne is now excelling at the Etihad Stadium and added: “I continue to enjoy myself on the pitch. And especially I am the same after a great match and after a bad one.

“In the good days and the bad days. Even after the match against Barcelona, I stayed quietly at home, like I had done a few days before after our win in the league when it was only against West Brom.

“Big match or not, I am the same. It is just a match. I know well in football that a lot of people get very high when they win and drop very low when they lose. Me, I am always a bit in between. I think that is my force. I know how to put the two extremes into context.”