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After Manchester City's win against Inter Milan on June 10, many fans were left wondering why Kevin de Bruyne was wearing a Sheffield Wednesday kit during the Champions League celebrations.
City players continued the celebrations long into the night after their team's maiden Champions League triumph following a 1-0 win against Inter. A couple of hours after the full-time whistle, De Bruyne was seen in the dressing room sporting a classic Owls shirt from the 1990s.
Initially, fans on social media speculated that it could have been a wind-up towards his teammate Kyle Walker, who played for Sheffield United in the past. A more pragmatic explanation has since come forward.
A fan (@Lendog1984 on Twitter) posted a photo of former Sheffield Wednesday captain Glenn Loovens in the stands with Manchester City fans at the Ataturk Stadium. He was seen with the Owls shirt that was apparently worn by De Bruyne in the dressing room later on.
According to the Mirror, De Bruyne's wife, Michele, is good friends with Loovens' partner, Eleonora Cecchi Loovens. Hence, there is a strong possibility that the former Netherlands international's shirt found its way to the Manchester City midfielder.
The Belgium international was substituted in the first half with an injury but was fit enough to celebrate with his teammates on and off the pitch after the full-time whistle. He has played a huge role in his team's historic treble, with 10 goals and 31 assists in 49 games across competitions this term.
Kevin de Bruyne addresses injury in Manchester City's UCL final win against Inter
Kevin de Bruyne has now been substituted due to an injury in both the UEFA Champions League finals he has played in so far.
In May 2021, the Belgian was taken off for Gabriel Jesus in the 60th minute after a nasty collision with Chelsea's Antonio Rudiger. The Blues won the final 1-0 courtesy of a Kai Havertz goal.
Against Inter Milan, De Bruyne had to be brought off the field due to a snapped hamstring in the 36th minute for Phil Foden. Reflecting on the incident, the 31-year-old told BT Sport, via Manchester Evening News:
"It's been a hard two months for me. I've had a lot of issues with my hamstring and it snapped. It is what it is. I did everything to be okay and it's a shame because I felt really good in the first half an hour, I know I was doing well but the team is good enough and we won."
De Bruyne has ended the season as the Champions League's top assist-provider, with seven to his name.
