Everything you need to know about Roberto De Zerbi

Roberto De Zerbi is the new manager of Brighton & Hove Albion following the departure of Graham Potter to Chelsea a couple of weeks ago. The club has acted swiftly and, for many, have managed to make an impressive appointment in the Italian.

In this article, we will provide you with everything you need to know about De Zerbi, as we understand there may be a number of fans who may not quite know who he is or what to expect when we take to the AMEX Stadium field or elsewhere in the Premier League over the upcoming season and beyond.

Interesting facts about De Zerbi
There are a number of different things that are certainly worth knowing about De Zerbi, with many of them making for rather interesting – and potentially exciting reading – as Seagulls fans.

The first thing of importance to note is how successful the manager has been in developing his career. The Italian has been able to build an impressive managerial CV throughout his short career, as he has managed to achieve some rather remarkable things as he continues to move up the ranks.

De Zerbi has had to work hard and start from the bottom, as he has not been handed anything like other managers have in the past.

Admittedly, he has not always had it his own way, as he was sacked from Foggia following a bust-up with the board, while he was sacked by Palermo after having a very unsuccessful first experience of management in Italy’s Serie A.

However, he has bounced back since then as he managed to guide Sassuolo to success, which earned him a chance at Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine – a move that ended prematurely because of the ongoing war situation.

Nonetheless, he left his mark on the club as he remained there until each and every foreign player was able to leave the country safely before doing it himself.

De Zerbi already has an admirer in the Premier League; none other than Pep Guardiola – a man that he idolises himself. They were spotted having dinner together recently, and it would not be a surprise if any advice were to be offered in the future.

What about De Zerbi’s tactics?
For many Brighton fans, they will want to know what the style of play will be under De Zerbi and whether they will continue to play progressive football; the same kind that saw Potter earn his role at Chelsea.

The Italian admitted he felt he shared some similarities with the former manager but also revealed that he was different in regard to the way that he wanted his teams to play.

Indeed, this is something that those who wish to place a wager using a bet online sport sites involving the Seagulls take into account the odds that are made available once they take to the field with the markets continually being offered.

This is because the new manager has revealed that he would prefer to have more control of the ball in his games, with his possession-based system maintaining a focus on keeping control of the ball in the middle of the park.

What tactics will De Zerbi look to employ?
If we look at the previous tactics that De Zerbi has looked to utilise at the other clubs he has managed thus far in his career, then it would be easy to expect to see a 4-3-2-1 formation to be adopted for Brighton.

The Italian likes to utilise full-backs as much as possible, allowing them to push up as far as possible up the pitch, while also making themselves available to their centre-backs as he likes his team to maintain control of the ball.

It would also not be a surprise if we were to see more dribbles taking place compared to Potter’s tenure, while also seeing a number of shorter passes being adopted. The long ball can be effective, but it might be seen less frequently under De Zerbi.

Final Thoughts
Of course, whether De Zerbi looks to implement his own style of play and tactics straight away remains to be seen, and if he does, it will be interesting to see how well the current crop of players are able to adapt to those methods immediately.

His first game as Brighton manager will be at Anfield against Liverpool following the conclusion of the current international break, though, so whether too much changes immediately is something that time will only tell