The King of Midfielder: Blue Crown to Kevin De Bruyne

Adversity and perseverance: From "Chelsea abandoned players" to "world's No. 1 midfielder"

Career turn: Mourinho once said to be "not working hard enough", he was reborn after loaning Wolfsburg (the 2014-15 Bundesliga assist king), and broke out completely after joining Manchester City.

Injury struggle: He still insisted on returning to help the team compete for the championship after multiple muscle injuries in the 2021-22 season. He returned to the front line with injuries in the 2023 Champions League semi-finals and eliminated Real Madrid.

"Ultimate Answer" of Guardiola's system

Space interpreter:

De Bruyne's signature "diagonal long pass" and "ground-mounted arc straight pass" (such as "no head-up assist" on Leicester City) completely cracks the opponent's defense line, and its passing accuracy (success rate of 85%+ per year) and vision are comparable to "GPS navigation".

Multi-facedness:

can be competent for central defenders, pseudo-winters and even pseudo-nines. The 2022-23 Champions League knockout stage counterattack against Real Madrid (1-1 away goal) shows its offensive versatility.

Mr. Big Scene:

The winning corner assist against Inter Milan in the Champions League final, the 2022 Premier League reversal against Villa in 3 minutes proves his key battle psychological quality.

De Bruyne took 8 years to lead Manchester City from a "rich upstart" to a "European dynasty". His passing is not only an assist, but also a work of art. If Haaland is Manchester City's "terminator", De Bruyne is the "creator" - his existence gives Guardiola's philosophy of transmission and control the sharpest spear. Even if he leaves in the future, his "No Look Pass" and "violent arc" are destined to be eternal legends at Etihad Stadium.