Brighton & Hove Albion have confirmed the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as their new head coach, replacing Graham Potter, who left for Chelsea last week.
The 43-year-old Italian has signed a four-year contract and will have time to work with the team during the international break.
De Zerbi, the club’s first Italian manager, arrived in Sussex on Friday to finalise terms before attending a behind-closed-doors friendly at the Amex Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Many names were mentioned in connection with the managerial opening on the South Coast, but the Seagulls think De Zerbi is the best candidate to lead the team forward.
Brighton have announced that they have postponed De Zerbi’s formal introduction to the media until Tuesday afternoon, the day following Her Majesty’s burial, as a mark of respect to Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away last Thursday.
Brighton Appoint Roberto De Zerbi As New Head Coach?
Chairman Tony Bloom stated on De Zerbi’s appointment as head coach to Brighton’s official website, “I am absolutely thrilled Roberto has agreed to become our new head coach.”
“Roberto’s teams play an exciting and courageous brand of football, and I am confident his style and tactical approach will suit our existing squad superbly.”
Technical director David Weir added, “Roberto has shown his undoubted ability with his work in Italy and Ukraine, and what he achieved at Sassuolo certainly stands out.
“In his short spell with Shakhtar he enjoyed further success, leading the club to cup success and topping the Ukrainian league before the war brought an abrupt halt to his time there.
“We are delighted to welcome Roberto and we look forward to introducing him to our squad as well as providing all the support he needs to introduce his coaching philosophy and help the players continue their brilliant start to the season.”
Deputy chairman and chief executive Paul Barber added, “We looked at a range of excellent candidates but Roberto was our number one choice from the start and the only person we spoke to.
“It’s no secret our chairman is constantly monitoring potential coaches, both here in our domestic leagues, throughout Europe and across the world as part of our succession planning work.
“We feel Roberto is the ideal cultural and technical fit for Brighton & Hove Albion, and the right person to continue the club’s progress and work with this outstanding group of players.”
Who is Brighton’s New Head Coach?
De Zerbi was born in Brescia and played as an attacking midfielder for AC Milan before moving on to 12 other clubs, including Napoli.
The Italian has been a coach for nearly a decade, but he has been out of employment since July, when he quit as manager of Shakhtar Donetsk in the midst of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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During his short stint as Shakhtar manager, De Zerbi earned Champions League experience, winning 20 of his 30 games as well as the Ukrainian Super Cup.
He previously managed Sassuolo in Serie A, where he achieved back-to-back eighth-place finishes in 2019-20 and 2020-21, narrowly missing out on European qualifying on both occasions.
De Zerbi will take command of his first game as Brighton manager following the international break, when the club travels to Anfield to face Liverpool in the Premier League on October 1.
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