- Roberto De Zerbi’s progress is being watched and admired by clubs in Italy
- But he is firmly focused on Brighton ahead of their Europa League tie in Rome
- Erik ten Hag is DELUDED. I don’t think anyone can see him staying around at the end of the season – It’s All Kicking Off podcast
Roberto De Zerbi arrived in Rome talking about making history with Brighton and deflated a few Italian hopes by revealing there were no immediate plans to return to Serie A.
‘It’s not true that I don’t think about it,’ said De Zerbi, the 44-year-old who is one of the hottest properties in what is shaping up to be a summer of managerial change. ‘But, usually, I do what makes me happy and right now, that’s to be where I am.
‘One day, I will come back to Italy. I don’t know when but when I made the choice to go to Shakhtar I did it because I wanted to find a way outside Italy. Without going into too many details, there were some things in Italy I didn’t like. I decided to do something else.’
His progress is being watched and admired by clubs including Milan where he started his playing career and Napoli. Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are all looking for new managers at the end of the season.
De Zerbi is firmly in the conversation not only because he has led Brighton on their first European adventure and this last-16 Europa League tie against Roma but because his style of play is bold and exciting.
Roberto De Zerbi has revealed he has no immediate plans to make a return to Serie A
Under De Zerbi, Brighton have caught the eye with their bold and exciting style of play
Roma’s interim manager Daniele de Rossi called him a ‘genius’ but the Brighton boss played down the lavish praise.
‘I don’t see myself as a genius,’ he said. ‘I don’t think I’m better than others but I’m not scared to work hard and I don’t lack courage. I don’t think of negative consequences. What probably makes a difference is my passion for football.
‘I am lucky to compete with this team at this level. We are here not only to reach the last eight but also because we are writing history, something unprecedented for this club and its fans.
‘I have been coaching for 10 years, five or six teams, and this is the team with players most similar to me in terms of pride, hunger, dignity and motivation.
De Zerbi has previously coached in Italy and took charge of Sassuolo between 2018-2021
De Zerbi is focused on making history with Brighton ahead of their Europa League last-16 tie
‘I fell in love with my team in Foggia, Benevento, Sassuolo and even Shakhtar Dontesk where I only spent six months but this is a team I really love, a team who can lose 3-0, be trashed and overwhelmed but they always bounce back with pride and hunger.’
It is his first game on Italian soil since his Shakhtar Donetsk side lost 2-0 at Inter in the Champions League in October 2021 and Brighton’s resources are stretched with injuries mounting.
They are without top scorer Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma.
‘We can complain and cry or take it as a chance and try to compete,’ said De Zerbi. ‘No-one will guarantee we go through with Joao Pedro and Mitoma. And no-one will guarantee we cannot go through without them.’
