Kevin de Bruyne to wear Diego Maradona's retired No.10 jersey at Napoli? Here's what we know

Napoli’s latest signing and star acquisition Kevin de Bruyne could be set to break the club’s tradition and inherit squad number 10 as the pre-season for new football season begins. De Bruyne, signed on a free transfer after leaving Manchester City was spotted wearing the No.10 kit in the pre-season on Tuesday (July 15). However, does this mean Napoli will use the number 10 jersey once again having retired the same in 2000?

Will De Bruyne wear No. 10?

With the pre-season in full swing, De Bruyne was spotted wearing the iconic number 10 in the training gear, sparking debate over the use of the retired kit. While the actual season is still a month away from the start, speculations have been fuelled over the use of the kit. However, going by the protocol the numbers used in the pre-season are not necessarily used in the actual season.

The kit numbers are finalised once the summer transfer window is closed as the final squad is out. Serie A and UEFA allow teams to use any numbers between 1 and 99, so De Bruyne could yet end up using a different kit number when it comes to the final season.

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Napoli will still have their work cut out when it comes to the final kit as they will have to accommodate De Bruyne with a squad number other than 10 if they decide to keep the legendary kit retired. Currently, No.17 is donned by Mathías Olivera, a number De Bruyne used in his Manchester City days.

Other numbers De Bruyne has used include No.7 (for Belgium) and No.14 (Chelsea, Wolfsburg), but they too remain unavailable if the club decides to go with the same pattern from last season. Goalkeeper Nikita Contini is wearing the No.14 while David Neres inherits the No.7 kit.