Brighton set to talk to former Shakhtar manager Roberto De Zerbi

The hunt for Graham Potter’s successor as Brighton manager will intensify with the Albion set to talk to former Shakhtar Donetsk manager Roberto De Zerbi about the position.

Michele Criscitiello from SportItalia revealed in a tweet that the Albion would meet De Zerbi at the beginning of the week.

Criscitiello added that De Zerbi would accept the job if offered as he believes the current squad fits well with his approach and style of play.

De Zerbi would be the sort of left-field appointment a lot of people were expecting Brighton to make. He was not mentioned on any initial next Brighton manager shortlists, only emerging as a candidate following rumours from Italy now confirmed by a reputable source.

The 43-year-old was something of a journeyman as a player. He started out at AC Milan but never played a game for the Rossoneri, moving on loan to Monza, Padova and Avellino.

De Zerbi then joined Salernitana on a permanent deal followed by a loan at Lecco. From there, he rattled through Foggia, Arezzo, Catania, Napoli, Brescia, Avellino, Romanian side CFR Cluj and finally Trento, where he retired.

His coaching journey is not dissimilar to Potter’s, beginning at the bottom of the rung and working upwards. Whereas Potter started at Leeds University, De Zerbi’s first management position came with Serie D amateurs Darfo Boario in 2013.

A year later, he took over former club Foggia in Serie C. He won the Serie C Cup and reached the promotion playoff final in his first season in charge.

In the summer of 2016, De Zerbi turned down an approach from Serie A side Crotone in favour of remaining loyal to Foggia.

That perhaps is where he differs from Potter, although presumably Crotone were not offering a five-year contract paying £60 million.

A falling out with the Foggia board a few months later saw De Zerbi leave the club with his next destination Palermo.

It was not a good first experience of Serie A as he oversaw a seven game losing streak and failed to win a home game for three months < insert another comparison to Potter here >.

De Zerbi was sacked following that run, taking over Serie A newcomers Benevento in October 2017 after nearly a year out of the game.

Although he could not keep Benevento in the top flight, De Zerbi was widely praised for the club’s transfer business and their style of football.

It was enough to earn him a move to Sassuolo in the summer of 2018, which is where De Zerbi’s stock really began to rise.

With a small budget, he led the tiny club wonderfully nicknamed the Watermelon Peel to consecutive eighth placed finishes in Serie A.

De Zerbi’s team collected the most points and scored the most Serie A goals in Sassuolo history. The 2020-21 campaign saw the Watermelon Peel hit the dizzy heights of second at one point following a stunning 2-0 success away at Napoli in which they played their illustrious hosts off the park.

They missed out on Europa Conference qualification on goal difference to Roma at the end of that campaign. De Zerbi had already announced it would be his final season with Sassuolo as he would take over Ukrainian giants Shakhtar ahead of 2021-22.

De Zerbi won the Ukraine Super Cup early in his reign and his side were top of the table when Russia launched its illegal war on the country in February 2022.

He was widely praised for remaining with Shakhtar despite the invasion, leading the club on their Global Tour for Peace which involved playing friendlies against sides from Greece, Turkey, Poland and Croatia.

De Zerbi left Shakhtar in July. Him and his coaching staff being free agents is likely to appeal to Tony Bloom. It would enable a quick appointment with no negotiations or compensation needed with another club.

The situation in appointing Potter’s successor has been made particularly challenging as it is not just a manager or assistant who needs replacing, but the entire first team coaching department.

Potter completely gutted the club by taking five members of staff with him to Stamford Bridge, including Ben Roberts and Bruno. So much for “Once a Seagull, always a Seagull.”

In terms of playing style, Roberto De Zerbi looks a good fit for Brighton. He favours a possession based game, the same as Potter.

Most of his success at Sassuolo came using a 4-2-3-1 formation with conservative full backs. That is unusual; most full backs in a 4-2-3-1 are charged with providing width in attack.

By adapting the formation to find other ways to get forward, De Zerbi has reinvented one of the most popular formations in world football of the past decade. It is little wonder he is a favourite of football hipsters, just like Potter for the 3-3-3-1 he has used since April.

It is the wide forwards who are crucial to De Zerbi – good news for Leandro Trossard, who has been devastating on the left since Potter redeployed him as wing back.

De Zerbi’s teams are fluid with players encouraged to switch positions with frequency. Again, that is similar to Potter.

The versatility of Alexis Mac Allister, Pascal Gross and Moises Caicedo in all being capable defensive midfielders as well is playmakers is sure to excite De Zerbi.

Where De Zerbi differs from Potter is the number of shots his sides take and with a remarkable success rate. Sassuolo outperformed their xG in 2020-21 under Roberto De Zerbi, an alien concept to a Potter-led Brighton.

Players are encouraged to have a go from distance – you will not hear Roberto De Zerbi saying it is unhelpful for Brighton fans to shout shoot.

This unpredictability in where and when a De Zerbi side will shoot from has been credited with helping them break through different defensive structures.

He also has a proven track record of improving individuals, whether they be players he has signed from elsewhere, members of a squad he inherits or academy prospects given opportunities under his management.

Three of his Sassuolo players were part of the Italy squad who won Euro 2020 (in 2021). Manuel Locatelli was signed by De Zerbi and turned into an Italian international under his management.

Forward Domenico Berardi was already a Sassuolo player when De Zerbi arrived with the manager helping him into the national team. Berardi scored the first penalty in the final shootout at Wembley against England.

Giacomo Raspadori meanwhile was given his professional debut by De Zerbi at the age of 19 in 2019. Within two years, Raspadori made his Italy debut and is now considered the future of Italian football.

It is this ability to unlock potential that makes De Zerbi such an exciting coach. The website Total Football Analysis wrote of De Zerbi: “The level of improvement many players have achieved under his guidance is extraordinary, and that is why he is a difference-maker.”

“Managing players to perform at that level with Sassuolo’s limited involvement in the transfer market is what makes him one of the most exciting coaches of this generation.”

On paper, Roberto De Zerbi looks to be the ideal manager to continue the Brighton project abandoned by Potter. Bloom will have other candidates in mind – he is also expected to speak to Kjetil Knutsen, whose FK Bodø/Glimt side have taken Norwegian and European football by storm.

Either De Zerbi or Knutsen would be exciting appointments. Time to forget about Potter and start looking forward to what the future holds for the Albion.