De Bruyne on City, Monaco and Champions League ambitions
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Article summary
A 5-3 first-leg win against Monaco bears out Kevin De Bruyne's view that Manchester City fans "can't be bored"; the Belgian told UEFA.com how his side can reach the final.
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De Bruyne on ... City's UEFA Champions League ambitions
I think we can reach the final, but of course the other teams will think the same and that doesn't make it easier. It will be very tough against Monaco, they're doing extremely well at the moment, but we are very positive and if we beat them we are through to the quarter-finals. After that, the final isn't that far away.
De Bruyne on ... City's UEFA Champions League progress
City have had a difficult time in Europe, which is new for this club, but last year we did great in the Champions League, although the way it went against Real Madrid in the semi-finals was a bit disappointing. But that's football and now we have to try to emulate that. [Last season] was excellent. We had a really difficult group and then we had to play PSG and Real Madrid, but I don't think this year has been any easier.
De Bruyne on ... Josep Guardiola
The way we play has changed. Of course, some players left and others joined but that happens every year and the team is making good progress in terms of how Pep wants us to play. It all takes time of course but we're doing pretty well this season and hopefully we can continue in the same vein. We have a lot of possession, we're very attack-minded and I don't think any fans watching our games can be bored!
De Bruyne on ... winning the UEFA Champions League
That would be fantastic. That's what we're here for. We want to do the best we can and win as much as possible and hopefully at the end of my career I can say I have won it at least once.
De Bruyne on ... De Bruyne
I'm an attack-minded player with a positive attitude. But the most important thing is that I do what I have to do for the team. This season I'm playing in a slightly different position, I've got a bit more of a defensive role, and I'm doing a really good job at the moment. Ultimately what's important is what you can do for the team, because you as a person will also benefit if it goes well for the team.
De Bruyne on ... his motivation
I hate losing. I always want to win, no matter where. That's very important, even if you're behind. You can always see the fire in my eyes when I'm playing.
De Bruyne on ... his career
I learned a lot [at Genk]. I got my breakthrough there, I played for the first team for about three years and we won everything we could have. We went through a lot, we went from battling relegation to winning the title and playing in the Champions League. I learned everything there.
[At Wolfsburg] I learned to play at another level. Playing in a more competitive league accelerated my development. I've always tried to keep progressing in one way or another, and so far it's always worked out. [The move to City] came at the right moment for me. It all felt right and I made the switch at the right moment. We'd gone as far as we could at Wolfsburg, and City was the perfect next move for me.
De Bruyne on ... football
I just love playing the game. It's important that it doesn't always feel like doing a job. Playing football mustn't be a burden – it's physically tough and you're under a lot of mental pressure – but I'm feeling very much at ease at the moment and that's very important to me.