‘Find the next Roberto De Zerbi.’ Up and down the land, chairmen and chief executives have issued the same instruction to their recruitment teams thanks to the Italian’s eye-catching impact at Brighton.
Dancing around his technical area with his natty black jumpers, spiky hair and immaculately tended beard, De Zerbi has bewitched the boardrooms of the Premier League since he landed in England in September 2022.
Now it seems a matter of time before he is rocking that look in the Champions League with European football agog to see where he turns up next.
There will be a change of manager at Liverpool this summer and very possibly at Manchester United too, with Dan Ashworth poised to take control of the football structure. De Zerbi has admirers at both clubs as well as overseas. His style would be perfect for Barcelona and the big hitters back home in Italy love him too.
Arrigo Sacchi, architect of the era-defining AC Milan teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s, says De Zerbi is ‘the most exciting coach of his generation, ready for a big job. He wants to innovate, go beyond the present and find different solutions for the future.’ Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp have praised him often.
Manchester United and Liverpool are both keen on acquiring Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi
No filter: De Zerbi, seen here losing his cool at Stamford Bridge, often cuts an agitated figure on the touchline
Former Italy and AC Milan boss Arrigo Sacchi said De Zerbi ‘is ‘the most exciting coach of his generation’
Glorious attacking football devised by a young, charismatic coach who is adored by his players and fans alike. A man so close to his players that as war in Ukraine began and the Russian bombs fell, he stayed with his Shakhtar Donetsk squad in their hotel basement rather than accepting an instant route back to Italy. A man so obsessed with football that he keeps a notepad and pen at his bedside, ready to record those sparks of genius that fly in the early hours.
What is not to like for Europe’s top clubs? When it comes to De Zerbi, though, it is a little more complicated than that. Mail Sport takes a closer look.
Brighton are like a symphony orchestra
De Zerbi had been at Brighton for less than a month and several alarmed players were tapping out messages to their agents. ‘Get me out of this place,’ was the general tone.
Since De Zerbi took over, Brighton have risen to first in the league for shots on target, second for total shots and second for possession
The early training sessions had left members of the squad so baffled that they did not believe they could play for their new manager.
In some drills, players would be asked simply to move around the pitch at walking pace without the ball. ‘How will this work in an actual game?’ they would ask each other. ‘Shocking’ was one of the more diplomatic words used about the sessions.
The initial results – two draws and three defeats – suggested the players had a point. Yet then came the 4-1 win over Chelsea on October 29, 2022. The Blues were managed by Graham Potter, whose departure from Brighton had paved the way for De Zerbi. From then it clicked and the squad have seen the light, all right.
Instead of questioning the training programme, players marvel now at how it easy it is to follow De Zerbi’s method. Because they know exactly where a team-mate will be positioned on the pitch, virtually to the blade of grass, they can play passes ‘blind’ under pressure and escape even the most intense press.
At their best, Brighton are like a symphony orchestra, the conductor a ball of energy on the sidelines. But what happens when the music stops?
Brighton are like a symphony orchestra, with De Zerbi the conductor on the sidelines
Brighton currently sit ninth in the Premier League standings having won nine and lost seven matches
What would De Zerbi do with Man United’s players?
January 30, 2024. The scene: the away dressing room at Kenilworth Road. Brighton have just been hammered 4-0 by Luton Town. In walks De Zerbi.
He points to one player and says ‘You were rubbish’. He says the same to the next and goes around the room, with nobody spared. Then comes the punchline.
‘I was rubbish, we were all rubbish,’ De Zerbi adds, before telling the players how much he loves them, how firmly he still backs them and always will. Four days later, Brighton dismantle Crystal Palace – the team their fans cannot stand – 4-1 at Amex Stadium.
It seems contradictory, but results and performances like the one against Palace contribute to some of the doubts about De Zerbi. For the plan to work, his advice must be carried out to the letter, with scant margin of error.
Yet big-name players have egos to match and often think they know better than their coach, especially one still without a major trophy in Europe’s top five leagues to his name. De Zerbi has a healthy ego of his own and is not one who would naturally try to placate or compromise.
What would De Zerbi do with some of the players at Manchester United, for example? Hugely talented individuals they may be, but their attitude on the pitch has seldom been perfect. If a player does not behave as De Zerbi demands, he is quickly jettisoned – as Leandro Trossard discovered last January when he was told to train away from the first team, shortly before his move to Arsenal.
What is the outcome when that issue does not involve Brighton or Trossard, but Manchester United and Marcus Rashford? There are those who wonder whether De Zerbi would have the temperament to stay calm in the eye of a far greater storm.
Would De Zerbi have the temperament to deal with the attitude of some of Man United’s players?
Leandro Trossard was forced to train away from the rest of the Brighton first-team ahead of his move to Arsenal
Some wonder whether the Italian manager would have the temperament to stay calm when presented with even greater difficulties
De Zerbi will need a sporting director he trusts
Long before he left Sassuolo, a small Italian club punching above its weight in Serie A, for Ukrainian giants Shakhtar in May 2021, De Zerbi was making a name for himself in England.
There were meetings with agents and recruitment experts who work closely with Premier League clubs and their impressions then are intriguing to look back on now.
‘Great guy – full of energy and ideas,’ said one. ‘But some doubts about how he would translate to an English audience.’
‘Impressive,’ added another. ‘He was more interested in a sporting challenge than financial reward.’ He is believed to have rejected advances from Inter Milan for precisely this reason.
Despite his obsession with tactics and coaching, De Zerbi is not content simply to stay in his lane, which has caused friction during his time at Brighton. Recruitment staff have sometimes been taken aback by his lack of enthusiasm for possible targets, especially at a club whose scouting and talent ID structure are the envy of the world game.
The signings of midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud and defender Igor are thought to have supported by De Zerbi but neither has made a significant impression, with Dahoud moving on loan to Stuttgart in January and Igor making only 10 starts in the Premier League. There is still time for Igor to settle, and Joao Pedro – a favourite of De Zerbi – has 19 goals in all competitions this term.
Long before he left Sassuolo, De Zerbi had been making a name for himself among English clubs
De Zerbi was said to have supported the signings of Igor (left) and Mahmoud Dahoud (right) but neither have impressed since joining Brighton
Perhaps for the Italian to deliver at a top club, he may need a sporting director that he can trust completely
Under Sir Jim Ratcliffe United envisage a football structure led by Dan Ashworth, should he join the club
The snag for De Zerbi is that top clubs like to take recruitment out of the coach’s hands. They will consult him, certainly, but no more than that.
Under Sir Jim Ratcliffe, United envisage a football structure led by Ashworth, with the coach working under him. Until he left in May 2022, it was Michael Edwards – not Jurgen Klopp – who drove Liverpool’s transfer policy.
For De Zerbi to deliver at a wealthy club, you sense he will need someone he trusts completely in the sporting director’s office. And that is where Richard Hughes’ link to Liverpool is interesting.
Could the Italian have ended up at Bournemouth?
Few in English football know the Italian game as well as Hughes does. Hughes grew up in Italy, spent time in the Atalanta academy as a teenager and speaks the language fluently.
In his role as technical director at Bournemouth, Hughes keeps a keen eye on Serie A and it is thought De Zerbi was on the Cherries’ radar as far back as August 2020 as they sought a replacement for Eddie Howe.
Ashworth’s imminent switch has brought the sporting director market to life. Hughes is among the contenders for Liverpool and is exactly the kind of ally De Zerbi would crave, especially as they could communicate in Italian.
As Bournemouth’s technical director, Richard Hughes (centre) is believed to have had De Zerbi on his radar before the Italian moved to England
Rumours linking Ashworth to Man United have brought the sporting director’s market to life
The 44-year-old is a smart cookie who has worked with different types of coaches – from Eddie Howe to Scott Parker and Gary O’Neil to current coach Andoni Iraola.
Senior figures at top clubs need to be savvy political operators, especially with a coach like De Zerbi at the helm. While a magnetic personality, he is not a natural figurehead like Klopp, preferring instead to stay close to his tight circle of Italian colleagues.
This weekend the Italian returns to duty at Sheffield United after missing the 2-1 defeat Tottenham – where he would have served a touchline ban – because he required invasive dental surgery but he has regularly clashed with officials.
If a Brighton manager is so argumentative, it might slip under the wider radar, but it can appear a liability at Old Trafford or Anfield if the coach is in the stands every other week.
How about the results? Brighton flew out of the blocks by winning five of their opening six games but took only four victories from the following 18 – and this form cannot be attributed only to the effect of Europa League campaign on a stretched squad.
‘They play good football, but it’s risky,’ said one veteran coach. ‘If they get it right it looks brilliant but if it goes wrong, it can go horribly wrong. They leave themselves so exposed that it has to be perfect.’
Brighton like to build from the back using their goalkeeper and centre-backs, with short passes into midfield to try to create one-against-one duels on the flanks.
Yet analysts have long since noted that when they lose the ball, Brighton are vulnerable to the counter-attack, often leaving themselves two-against-two or three-against-three. ‘There are so many players ahead of the ball that if they don’t get it to one of them, they’re in big trouble,’ observed one.
De Zerbi missed Brighton’s 2-1 defeat by Tottenham because of dental surgery
But he will return to the dugout for Sunday’s trip to face Sheffield United at Bramall Lane
At a club like John Henry’s Liverpool it would be noticeable if the coach were to spend so much time in the stands
Can De Zerbi take football across a new frontier?
Risk versus reward. That is the conundrum with De Zerbi.
Is the fabulous attacking football worth it for the defensive vulnerability it brings? Do De Zerbi’s brilliant ideas and training methods mean employers can turn a blind eye to the friction behind the scenes and the penalties for berating officials?
With better players at his disposal, can De Zerbi supplant Guardiola and take football across a new frontier? Or will superstars tire of his tactical micromanagement and ultimately undermine him?
This is the dilemma Europe’s leading clubs must face when weighing up whether to appoint him. It will be fascinating to see which of them takes the plunge.
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