Roberto de Zerbi was the excellent candidate to switch Graham Potter at Brighton and is obsessive about ‘soccer and cigarettes’… now the Seagulls are reaping the rewards of his genius

Roberto De Zerbi is good on element. Everybody on the membership says he hundreds his gamers with data. He’s a pleasant man who bonds simply, whether or not with a barber referred to as Mehmet who cuts hair in a store close to his residence and with whom he commonly has espresso, or with workers, with whom he’s in style.

He’s fiery at instances, and might explode in frustration, however calms shortly. De Zerbi is a household man, with a daughter at college in London, a spouse, Elisa, in Italy, who travels to see him, and vice versa, and a son, additionally in Italy.

The outline mostly cited for the 44-year-old, who had a taking part in profession that included Napoli and managerial jobs throughout Italy earlier than Shakhtar Donetsk, is that he’s ‘obsessed’ with soccer.

After his pre-match press convention forward of the AEK Athens sport, I sit down with him in a facet room and inform him everybody says he’s obsessed. He nods.

‘Soccer,’ he replies. ‘And cigarettes.’

Roberto De Zerbi is a soccer obsessive and might watch soccer all night time, whereas additionally being a household man with a spouse, daughter, and son

He provides: ‘I feel I’m actually fortunate in life as a result of my work is my ardour. I’m having fun with working. The individuals who work within soccer have a giant wage, and for it I take into account myself very fortunate.’

The earlier night he went residence from work and … watched soccer all night time. Champions League video games.

‘Soccer is a pastime, work, ardour, it’s my life. The issue is when there aren’t any video games. I like to spend my time with my assistant watching the Champions League, and for us it’s an honour taking part in within the Europa League this season as a result of if you happen to dwell for soccer and might play in the midst of the week, it’s an honour, a pleasure.’

So the worldwide break was fairly tough for you then? ‘Sure!’

Membership sources say Bloom personally recognized De Zerbi as Graham Potter’s successor, utilizing knowledge produced by StarLizard. Paul Barber confirms to me De Zerbi was on a shortlist of three however as quickly as they met him, he turned the one candidate they needed, the head-and-shoulders No1, and the one one they courted.

‘I knew about Brighton as a result of I watched a variety of Premier League video games,’ De Zerbi says. ‘We had a gathering in London with Tony Bloom and with Paul Barber and David Weir and so they defined to me their philosophy, their thought, their plan.

‘They had been very near my concepts. I at all times thought I needed to determine the most effective place, the most effective membership for me . . . however not for the cash or the extent of competitors however for the concepts and the type of labor.

‘Working with younger gamers is an efficient factor for me.’

Membership sources say chairman and majority proprietor Tony Bloom personally recognized De Zerbi utilizing knowledge produced by StarLizard 

Brighton appealed to the Italian supervisor as a result of he likes working with younger gamers

De Zerbi mentioned on Tuesday he’s residing the dream. ‘I completed in Ukraine in a foul method, you already know which method [because of the war]. After which once I began to work right here it was very tough, no? For me as a overseas coach in a brand new nation with new gamers and the final coach left for a giant membership.

‘However it’s been like a dream — type of play, the connection with the gamers, with the membership, the individuals who work inside, the outcomes. I like residing in Brighton.’

I inform De Zerbi that his title is cited in the identical conversations on modern teaching innovators as Pep Guardiola. The 2 are pals. ‘It’s a insanity that my title is [associated] with Guardiola,’ he says.

‘I feel I’m a very good coach. I’m in a position to be a coach however sincerely I don’t suppose I’m altering something. I’m conserving my concepts, I’m transferring my concepts to our gamers, and they’re superb.

De Zerbi is pals with Pep Guardiola and says it’s a ‘insanity’ that the 2 are in contrast

‘I do know the significance of a coach, as a result of I used to be a participant, however the gamers are extra necessary than the coaches. You may have the most effective thought however if you happen to don’t have the fitting gamers to point out your thought, it’s inconceivable.

‘Guardiola is on one other stage. For me, he’s the most effective. I wish to enhance my concepts. My enchancment will not be completed but and I don’t need it to complete!’