Napoli manager Massimiliano Allegri says his heated exchange with Kevin De Bruyne during the Champions League defeat by Villarreal was simply the result of a communication problem.

Napoli were beaten 3-1 by Villarreal on Tuesday, 13 October, leaving them without a win in their 2026-27 Champions League campaign.

The match featured an apparent confrontation between Allegri and the Belgium midfielder. Reports in Italy claimed De Bruyne had failed to follow a direct tactical instruction from his manager.

However, Allegri rejected that interpretation when speaking to Tuttosport before Napoli’s Serie A fixture against Venezia on Saturday, 17 October.

“Did he bother me? No, there was a misunderstanding, but that was it. These things happen and will happen again,” Allegri said.

“If we understand each other straight away, it’s better: I spoke Italian, he spoke English, then I started speaking in English and he wanted to understand in Italian.

“The boy is intelligent, he understood.”