Napoli clash, De Bruyne and Lucca brawl on the pitch: "Why are you talking? Go away, you bastard!"

The Porto-Napoli match ended with a score of 4-1, but one of the most commented moments of the evening is not directly related to the disastrous result in the Champions League. In the 82nd minute, Kevin De Bruyne and Lorenzo Lucca were involved in a violent clash on the pitch. The Italian striker had entered the game just a minute earlier, replacing Matteo Politano. After a duel, De Bruyne ended up on the ground and, after getting up, instead of returning to his position, turned to his teammate to scold him in front of everyone.

This time, Lucca didn't take the criticism in silence. He approached the Belgian and replied in English: "Why are you speaking? Fuck off." According to lip reading during the television broadcast, the message was clear: "Why are you speaking? Why are you speaking? Get the f*ck off!"

In the ranks of Napoli, the team led by Allegri, nerves had already gotten out of control. The players seemed to no longer be focused on the game, but were releasing the tension through arguments among themselves. The clash between the two players became one of the ugliest scenes of the Cup evening, making the defeat even more bitter and serious, not only because of the number of goals conceded.

The confrontation in the 82nd minute: what did they say to each other?

It was not a simple misunderstanding. It all started with De Bruyne reprimanding his teammate Lucca after a failed tackle. At that moment, Napoli were 3-1 down, and the former Udinese striker had come on to help the team in a last-ditch effort to turn the game around. However, De Bruyne reacted harshly to his teammate. He gestured with his hands and said something, while Lucca, who had only been on the pitch for a minute and had not yet touched the ball, found himself facing the Belgian's reprimand. For a few seconds, the match seemed to cease to exist. The only focus was on the two players, standing opposite each other.

Commentators Sandro Piccinini and Massimo Ambrosini highlighted the episode during the Prime Video broadcast: “It wasn’t a pretty scene to watch.” Fernando Llorente also spoke about the moment after the match: “The argument between De Bruyne and Lucca was ugly. It’s time to stay calm, keep your cool and work.” Meanwhile, Claudio Marchisio added a sentence that sums up the team’s state: “When mental concentration is lacking, the physical part also drops a lot.” Napoli didn’t lose the match because of the substitute. They lost it because they weren’t mentally focused.

Previously Lucca was silent, this time he decided to answer

It's not the first time De Bruyne has shown signs of discontent on the pitch. The clash with Lucca was not entirely unexpected, as the former Manchester City player has openly expressed his displeasure on other occasions, both last season and this one. Lucca and Lang have previously been the objects of the Belgian's displeasure. 

Another episode had occurred last October, in the Venezia-Napoli match. After a missed penalty, Lucca approached De Bruyne to console him. However, the Belgian continued towards the dressing room without stopping or making any gesture of gratitude for the support received. Even then, there had been signs of tension. The difference is that before Lucca silently accepted his teammate's reactions. This time he decided not to be silent and answered him directly: "Why are you talking?".