A 'winning culture' may be one of the most over used terms in modern football but Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti proved on Saturday, at Liverpool's expense, that there truly is meaning and value in the concept.
"I didn't do it before because I was young and I didn't have the profile I have now," De Bruyne, who turns 28 next Thursday on the same day Belgium play England in their final Group G fixture, told RTBF television.
Chelsea wrapped up their pre-season tour of the United States on a high note by beating Barcelona in a shootout after their International Champions Cup match ended 2-2 on Tuesday.
Chelsea won the English Premier League earlier this month with three games to spare. And the players tried to make maximum out of the situation.
Buoyant Chelsea extended their Premier League lead and calmed nerves at Stamford Bridge with a 4-2 win over Southampton on Tuesday that moved them seven points clear of their nearest pursuers Tottenham Hotspur.
A preview of the line-up action in the English Premier League from October 20-22.
Arsenal fought back from a goal down against old foes Chelsea to reach the League Cup final as Granit Xhaka poked home to complete a 2-1 second-leg win on Wednesday that set up a Wembley showdown with Manchester City.
Liverpool continued their perfect start to the season to stay top of the Premier League after a goal in each half gave them a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Saturday.
Belgium sacked national coach Marc Wilmots on Friday after their highly fancied team of talents failed to advance beyond the quarter-finals at Euro 2016 this month, Belgian FA president Francois De Keersmaecker said.
Finland, who came third with three points, must wait until the end of the group stage to see if their adventure in a first ever major tournament will continue and they need a series of results to go their way if they are to make the last 16.
A payoff of at least one million euros ($1.11 million) for Belgium soccer manager Marc Wilmots could be a problem and the national federation does not have the means to hire a big name to replace him, the federation's head said.
The self-styled "Special One" faces what he agreed is a special fixture this weekend but Jose Mourinho refused to accept that beating Manchester United to establish a 10-point lead with six games left would mean Chelsea had won the Premier League.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has been a named a respondent in the legal action being brought against the club by their former team doctor Eva Carneiro for constructive dismissal, sources close to the case said on Monday.
Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema kept up his impressive run of form by scoring and providing two assists in a 3-1 win away to Eibar on Sunday, taking the champions level on points with La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid.
Arsenal named a strong side captained by Mesut Ozil while Real had Bale on the bench and Eden Hazard, wearing the number 50 shirt, starting alongside fellow new signing Luka Jovic in attack.
Chelsea's new signing Gonzalo Higuain netted his first two Premier League goals in Chelsea's 5-0 thrashing of Huddersfield Town while Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min struck late for a 1-0 win over Newcastle United as they moved into second place.
The club anthem Blue is the Colour resounded around a joyful Stamford Bridge and champagne flowed as Chelsea clinched their first Premier League title for five years with a typically stubborn 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday.
With no fans allowed into venues and Real playing their home games at the 6,000-capacity Alfredo Di Stefano stadium while the Santiago Bernabeu is being refurbished, it will be a title race unlike any other.
Former Real youth player Joselu pulled a goal back for Alaves in the 59th minute, powering in a header from a free kick, but Benzema rounded off the victory for second-placed Real with an exquisite solo run and goal in the 70th minute.
Real Madrid's Welsh winger Gareth Bale has joined Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the race for FIFA's Ballon d'Or award.
Barcelona travel to newly-promoted Osasuna without their first choice front line.
Manchester City are top on goal difference, with Chelsea second and Liverpool dropping to third, two points ahead of Arsenal, who routed Fulham 5-1.
Chelsea and former manager Jose Mourinho have reached an undisclosed settlement with former team doctor Eva Carneiro at an employment tribunal in London, the Premier League club said on Tuesday.
Chelsea are banking on a lavish shopping spree to give them more bite up front and much-needed solidity in defence after coach Frank Lampard spent last season relying heavily on a crop of inexperienced home-grown players.
Raheem Sterling's stunning individual goal earned Liverpool a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in a rip-roaring League Cup semi-final first leg at Anfield on Tuesday but the dominant Merseysiders could be left to rue a missed opportunity.
Eden Hazard is disputing Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho's assertion that the attacking midfielder is due a rest, the 23-year-old insisting that he plays consistently better when fed a steady diet of action.
Tottenham Hotspur lost their cool and their Premier League title hopes as they let slip a two-goal lead at Chelsea to draw a stormy London derby 2-2 on Monday.
Late goals from Eden Hazard and Nemanja Matric sealed a 4-2 victory for Chelsea over London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a rip-roaring FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday.
Bayern Munich gained some revenge for their 2012 Champions League final defeat by Chelsea when they beat the Premier League club 5-4 on penalties after a thrilling UEFA Super Cup ended 2-2 at the end of extra-time on Friday.
The FIFA 2022 World Cup will kick-off in Qatar on Sunday, November 20. Here is a list of the 26-man squads playing in the quadrennial global football extravaganza.
Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard says it "would be a dream" to play under French great and current Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane in the future.
Should the Portugal forward triumph, he will equal the record of his great rival and five-time winner Lionel Messi of Barcelona, who is also nominated.
Belgium have retained injured Vincent Kompany in their final World Cup squad but put fellow defender Laurent Ciman on standby in case the Manchester City skipper is not fit for their opening match in Russia.
Premier League-leading Chelsea's success on the pitch has been recognised by the Professional Footballer's Association (PFA) with Eden Hazard and N'Golo Kante making the shortlist for the organisation's Players' Player of the Year award.
Doctor Eva Carneiro has left Premier League champions Chelsea in the wake of last month's public spat with manager Jose Mourinho, according to several media reports on Tuesday.
Diego Costa has turned into a pale imitation of the player who took the Premier League by storm last year and Chelsea must get him firing on all cylinders again to have any hope of salvaging their wretched season.
Real's Cristiano Ronaldo will be going in search of his third consecutive World Player of the Year award
Chelsea enjoyed a somewhat fortuitous return to winning ways when they beat Aston Villa on Saturday but their fragile self-confidence will face a far more severe test at Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League on Tuesday.
A stoppage-time goal from Martin de Roon earned Middlesbrough an unlikely 1-1 draw at Premier League leaders Manchester City on Saturday.
Madrid were not at their best but moved three points clear of rivals Barcelona.
