De Bruyne may consider City future if 2-year European ban is upheld

Manchester City could be in danger of losing one of the game’s brightest stars if their Champions League ban is upheld.

Kevin De Bruyne suggested he may be forced to consider his future if Manchester City are unsuccessful in their attempt to reduce or overturn the UEFA-imposed two-season ban from European competitions.

“I’m just waiting,” De Bruyne told Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, according to PA Media. “The club told us they are going to appeal and they are almost 100% sure they are right. That’s why I’m waiting to see what will happen. I trust my team.

“Once the decision is made, I will review everything. Two years would be long, but in the case of one year, I might see.”

In February, UEFA kicked City out of the Champions League for the next two seasons and issued a €30-million fine for committing “serious” breaches of Financial Fair Play regulations.

Besides the uncertainty over the European ban, De Bruyne insisted that he is loyal despite links to some of the biggest clubs in the world.

“I play for one of the best teams in the world, play in England – for my competitive view the best competition – and I like that,” he said. “It remains a challenge to be the best and I need that, too.”

De Bruyne has been forced to train at home since the Premier League season was suspended in March and admitted in April that being away from football has inspired him to prolong his playing career by two more years.

The 28-year-old, who joined City in 2015, was on course to break the all-time assists record of 20 in a single campaign after providing 16 in 26 matches – the same output he finished with during 2017-18 when he was named Premier League Playmaker of the Season.