Brighton confirmed the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as their new head coach after losing Graham Potter to Chelsea following dismissal of Thomas Tuchel by the blues new owners. De Zerbi has been appointed on a 4year deal.
🚨 Photo confirmation of Roberto De Zerbi’s appointment as Brighton’s new head coach.
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) September 20, 2022
(📸 @OfficialBHAFC) pic.twitter.com/mz3H3g3x7w
De Zerbi has a remarkable coaching career that kicked 9 years ago in Italy where he coached amateur side Darfo Boario between 2013 to 2014. In 2014, he was appointed head coach of Foggia who plays for serie C in Italy where he won Serie C Coppa Italia and narrowly missed promotion to Serie B. His poor start in Serie A with Palermo saw him sacked barely two and half months in the job.
His previous commitment and work ethics at Darfo and Foggia forged him a chance to be appointed as Benevento’s headcoach in 2017. Benevento had just been promoted to Serie A. Despite his good work that received applauds from other coaches and pundits, Benevento were relegated from Serie A back to
Serie B in the season of 2017/2018. Armed with serie A experience after attempt first with Benevento, Roberto De Zerbi got Sassuolo coaching role in 2018 which would later see him finish 8th twice in Serie A and narrowly missed to qualify for the Europa Conference League in 2021 in favor of Roma based on superior goal difference.
We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as the club’s new head coach! 🤝 pic.twitter.com/tNoNZfFaxQ
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) September 18, 2022
In search of fresh challenges and away from Italy, Roberto was appointed Shakhtar Donetsk head coach in 2021 where he won Ukraine Super Cup before terminating his contract following Russia invasion of Ukraine.
The choice of coaching in Ukraine was mine, I had chances to stay in Italys’ Serie A but I chose to go to Shakhtar,” the Italian said. ‘I took this decision for the players, the club, the opportunity to play in the Champions League and of course I was not expecting everything to end the way it did because of the start of conflict. It was bad also to leave something that was going very well.
‘What can I do except keep going to work with the same passion that I have always shown? I will always have that experience, at the club and with the people’ De Zerbi concluded. He had been sorted by various clubs across Europe including AS Roma and he was close to joining FC Bournemouth in the summer but after several meetings with Cherries the deal fell off on unclear grounds.
The Italian met Brighton owners Tony Bloom and Paul Barber who sort him fit to fill the gap left by Graham. He watched cherries play a match behind closed doors at Amex stadium. Both parties believe that the quality and vision they have for Brighton are similar.
De Zerbi’s work permitt is set and had already gotten FA clearance. Speaking to skysports news, Seagull owner Tony Bloom made clear their reasons to appoint De Zerbi to succeed Graham Potter siting him a ‘natural fit’.
‘Roberto is a really good fit for the club, for the players we have, and the style, there’s a lot of similarities between Graham Potter and Roberto, and that was a really important thing for us’, Bloom said. ‘When we met with Roberto the conversation flowed, it went very well and we are really confident we’ve got the right head coach for this football club for right now.
I think Roberto had done his homework, he knew a lot of about the football club in recent years’, he added. ‘I was pretty impressed with the work he had done. when we hire a head coach, it’s the person, the coach, the personality, the fit with the club’, Bloom continued. ‘Parts have got to fit correctly, and they absolutely did with Roberto; he’s a natural fit for this club.’
De Zerbi couldn’t help to heap praise to the departed Graham Potter whose coaching tactics earned him Chelsea coaching role and left a remarkable start to the season as Brighton sit 4th in the English Premiere League table after 7 games.
‘For me it’s very easy to start work at Brighton because I know the work done by Potter before me. The players have the right skills and the characteristics, especially mentally, to play my style of football and to play brave, as I want’ Roberto said as he addressed reporters shortly after being confirmed as Seagulls head coach.
The Italian couldn’t help acknowledging the 4th spot held currently by Brighton and Man City’s head coach Pep Guardiola approval of his decision to join Brighton. It’s clear that now I take a team that is fourth in the table and that has given me motivation. Brighton strongly wanted me as a coach, and their style of play is very similar to my idea of football, we met each other straight after we had started to talk.
Of course, other teams were interested in me but I’m delighted to be here’ Roberto continued, ‘I think we’re on the same wavelength and I’m sure we can do it well. I spoke to Pep on Sunday evening, yes and he is very happy that I’m on board here. He told me very good things about the club. And he told me that if I need help he will be very happy to help me – but of course not in the match we are playing against them, I think the right vision is to try to improve always. And of course last season ended in ninth so our vision is to stay in the first 10 teams of the league.’
Roberto De Zerbi, presented as new Brighton manager: “I spoke to Pep Guardiola on Sunday. He said: I'm very happy you are here. He said if ever there is anything I need, he is there – apart from when we play them!”. 🔵 #BHAFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 20, 2022
Andrea Maldera has signed as De Zerbi’s assistant. pic.twitter.com/VceQg9EvGb
Robert’s first game as Brighton manager will be on October 1st away to Liverpool before his first home game a week later at Amex stadium welcoming in form Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspurs on 8th.
Also read: 7 Players Who’ve Played for Both Manchester City and Arsenal
