It has been claimed that Brighton & Hove Albion have arranged to meet with Roberto De Zerbi to discuss the possibility of him taking over as the club’s next head coach.
In the wake of Graham Potter’s move to Chelsea, the Seagulls have started the process of identifying Potter’s successor. In the meanwhile, Under-21s coach Andrew Crofts is in command of the team in an interim capacity.
De Zerbi, who is 43 years old and has surfaced as the latest name to be associated with the vacant manager position at the Amex Stadium, is reported to be under consideration by Brighton’s upper management. Several other managers have been linked with the position.
President And Chief Operating Officer of Sportitalia Michele Cristicitello Has Said
According to Michele Cristicitello, CEO of Sportitalia and a longtime friend of De Zerbi, Brighton has booked a meeting with the Italian this week to start conversations regarding their managerial vacancy. Cristicitello has known De Zerbi for his whole life.
According to Cristicitello, De Zerbi has been in direct touch with the Seagulls, and he has shown interest in taking Potter’s place as the starting goalkeeper for the South Coast.
In an interview with The Argus, Cristicitello said, “He is following all of Brighton’s matches, and he would agree to come if the club indicated a concrete interest in signing him.”
It has been said that De Zerbi respects the mindset and attitude of the Brighton players, and he has been monitoring the development of the club.
The head coach, who was born in Brescia, has been unemployed ever since he decided in July to quit Shakhtar Donetsk in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Even though De Zerbi was only in charge for a total of 30 matches across all competitions, he was able to lead the team to 20 wins and win the Ukrainian Super Cup during his brief tenure.
Before taking over as manager of Shakhtar, De Zerbi was in charge of Serie A club Sassuolo for three seasons. During that time, he guided Sassuolo to two eighth-place finishes in a row in the Italian top flight in 2019-20 and 2020-21, falling just short of qualifying for Europe on both occasions.
Known For His Aesthetically Pleasing Play, De Zerbi
De Zerbi, who was renowned for his attractive style of football during his time at Sassuolo, has also had stints in charge of other Italian teams like Darfo Boario, Foggia, Palermo, and Benevento. During his tenure at Sassuolo, he was recognized for his attractive brand of football.
However, Kjetil Knutsen, the manager of Bodo/Glimt, is presently the favorite among bookies to succeed Gary Potter as Brighton’s manager. The Italian is one of the names that Brighton is considering, but he is not the only one.
Knutsen, who is now 53 years old, was the head coach of the Norwegian team when it won the Eliteserien for the first time ever in 2020 and then successfully defended its championship the following season.
Brighton is said to have their eyes on several players, including Ange Postecoglou of Celtic, Steve Cooper of Nottingham Forest, and Nathan Jones of Luton Town, among others.
Finishing Off
As a result of the postponement of the M23 derby against Crystal Palace as well as the upcoming international break at the end of this month.
Brighton will not be in a rush to make an appointment because they will now have three weeks until their next match, which will take place away at Liverpool in the Premier League on October 1. This is due to the fact that the match was postponed.
