Former Italy coach Cesare Prandelli praised AC Milan’s Luka Modric and Napoli’s Kevin De Bruyne, insisting that class has no age amid the veteran midfielders' bright starts in Serie A. The duo moved to the Italian top-flight from Real Madrid and Manchester City respectively after their contracts expired and Prandelli says they bring an excitement to the league.
Milan face Napoli on Sunday in Serie A
Milan will host reigning Scudetto champions Napoli at the San Siro on Sunday. Napoli, unbeaten in their first four games of the season, sit at the top of the table, while Milan have recovered from their opening defeat to Cremonese with three consecutive clean sheets, building positive momentum. The spotlight will be on midfielders Modric and De Bruyne, as the two stars go head-to-head after earning widespread praise from pundits.
While De Bruyne is tipped to play a decisive role in Napoli’s push for the Serie A title, Modric has been hailed for his adaptability, with praise for the way he adjusts his game to elevate both himself and those around him.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportPrandelli's praise for Modric & De Bruyne
In an interview with , Prandelli praised the qualities of Modric and De Bruyne, saying: "They're very welcome when it comes to champions with such exaggerated talent. Class knows no age, and both players' intelligence is so developed that they both know when to accelerate and when to control themselves. They also have feet and vision that make you fall in love with football. A champion is the one who decides, and Modric and De Bruyne have done just that and will continue to do just that."
Conte and Allegri: The decisive factors
However, Prandelli believes the real battle in the weekend's showdown clash will be between coaches Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri. Explaining why, he said: "About Allegri and Conte, charismatic and with a leadership that becomes a driving force. Both must be recognized for their strength, which stems from their knowledge. Their differences are often discussed, while to me, in many respects, they seem to have enormous similarities."
Conte arrived in Naples after Napoli’s disappointing 10th-place finish in the 2023-24 season, and he went on to guide them to their second title in three years, edging Inter by a single point on the final matchday. Prandelli praised his impact, highlighting his extraordinary ability to improve players: "Conte is extreme in his arrival at a club, with that ability to get inside the players' heads and improve them. For example: Politano has always been a quality player, but thanks to Antonio, he has added a consistency that makes him an essential element."
Similarly, Allegri took charge of Milan after their eighth-place finish last season. Their 3-0 win over Lecce in the Coppa Italia on Tuesday gave them four consecutive clean sheets in all competitions. Prandelli also applauded Allegri’s ability to solve problems and argued that Milan are playing entertaining football despite criticisms of his style.
"I'm incredibly happy with Allegri's impact; he deserved it because he had to endure undeserved criticism," he added. "Max is dominant, he has the ability to absorb the most delicate situations and handle them with mastery. He takes on problems and solves them. And Milan are playing well; against Udinese he was entertaining."
Getty Images SportModric and De Bruyne's challenge on Sunday
Both Modric and De Bruyne will look to use their experience and technical ability to give their team a competitive edge when Milan and Napoli take on each other on Sunday.