Man City confirm date for Kevin De Bruyne farewell match after summer snub
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Manchester City’s last home game of the season will give Kevin De Bruyne the chance to address the Etihad after they’ve played Bournemouth with the Belgian leaving this summer
Manchester City have confirmed that their clash with Bournemouth later this month will be Kevin De Bruyne’s farewell match. The game with the Cherries is their last home game of the season. The contest at the Etihad has been moved to Tuesday May 20 at 8pm.
It had been scheduled to take place at the weekend before but City will play in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace and thus the game has needed to find a new slot in the calendar.
It is City’s penultimate game of the season but their final one at home and as a result the clash will be used to mark the departure of De Bruyne. It has been announced that the Belgian will be allowed to leave once his contract expires in the summer after a decade at the club.
The 33-year-old will leave as arguably the club’s greatest ever player, winning six Premier League titles during his time in Manchester, which has also seen him named the PFA Player of the Year on two occasions. De Bruyne will address the fanbase after the game.
The club said in a statement: “It means the Bournemouth fixture will be an emotionally charged affair and provide the City fans – and players and staff – with the opportunity to not only say farewell but also express their gratitude for all that King Kev has done for the Club since joining us in the summer of 2015.
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“There will be a post-match presentation with Kevin and fans will have the chance to hear from him one final time as he addresses the crowd inside the Etihad.”
De Bruyne’s future had been a talking point all year, in what has been a disappointing campaign for the Manchester outfit. Injuries have plagued the playmaker’s year but he, like many of his team-mates, have not hit the levels expected. The player himself admitted he was surprised to have been informed of the news, but will leave with a sensational legacy.
De Bruyne will reportedly not be sticking around for this summer’s Club World Cup, which has been expanded for the first time. His contract is due to expire at the end of June – midway through the summer tournament. De Bruyne is reluctant to play and risk an injury which might hamper his chance of finding a new club.
He will be obliged to travel to the US for the start of the tournament in mid-June, with his contract not expiring until the 30th of that month, however De Bruyne is plotting talks and hopes the club will be sympathetic towards his situation. Teams involved in the Club World Cup are permitted to seek special dispensation to continue using players in situations like that faced by De Bruyne.
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