Chelsea: Kevin De Bruyne’s magic in Euros brings back the pain

Former Chelsea player and now world superstar Kevin De Bruyne’s contribution in one half of a Euro 2020 match brings back the pain for Blues’ supporters. Belgium, called the best team in the world perhaps, has one of the best players in the world in the sensational Kevin De Bruyne.

As he did in the first match against the then Frank Lampard-managed Chelsea last season, De Bruyne took over and dominated the game against Denmark. His magic took Belgium from a one-goal deficit to a 2-1 win in an emotion-filled match against a not nearly so talented Denmark side.

De Bruyne came on in the second half and almost immediately sent Belgium from a goal behind to the lead. With an assist and a goal, De Bruyne put his spin on the match and on his Belgian team and led the Red Devils to the win.

The pain, of course, for Chelsea fans has nothing to do with a win or loss of De Bruyne’s national team, it has to do with the sale of the player by the Blues in 2014 to Wolfsburg for $24.20M. A little over a year and a half later in August of 2015, he was sold for an awesome $83.60M to Manchester City (Note: his transfermarkt fee is now $110M.). That 2015 fee was a fee well-paid by City as they have gone on to multiple Premier League championships with De Bruyne who has advanced to world-class greatness.

That sale plus a few ill-advised others (added to recently reportedly by the finalization of the low-fee sale of Fikayo Tomori to A.C. Milan) reminds Blues’ fans of the poor player decision-making that has cost the Blues incalculably over the past decade. Selling young players of massive ability who have not had a real opportunity to show what they can do at Chelsea (without even a buy-back clause, a very misguided strategy, indeed) has been the bane of the Blues under successive managers.

Watching De Bruyne against Denmark but also in any match in which he plays for club or country is a painful reminder indeed of what he could have brought and he would still be bringing for Chelsea. He was never given a real opportunity to show what he could do at SW6. Against, Denmark, De Bruyne sent a terrific pass to Thorgan Hazard (yet another young Chelsea player sent packing without an ample opportunity to shine in royal blue) at the 54′ and then won the match at the 70′ minute with a beautiful goal of his own. That said it all. After only 25′ on the pitch, and he turned the game completely around and subsequently won it. I believe Taylor Twellman, the match commentator and the former star of the MLS’ New England Revolution, called him the best player in the world.

While there may be some arguments about that from fans of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, there is no doubt that De Bruyne is one of the best all-around, right at the top of the pyramid of top players anywhere. Again, it’s a sad lesson, not only for the club that mistakenly sold the player without a buyback clause but especially to the fans. It’s the fans who for many years have had to shudder watching this great player do his damage against any and all opponents, including, of course, Chelsea annually.

This sale plus a few others are “the pains from sales that keep on hurting” for Blues fans. Hopefully, these sales will be limited in the future, wherein at least a buyback clause on a sale or a no-buy clause on a loan can not only save the club from its own short-sightedness but also Blues fandom from around the world from all this pain and angst.