‘One of the most influential managers’


Tuesday, May 23, 2023 at 7:52 PM• Jonathan van Haaster • Last update: 19:55

Pep Guardiola is extremely enthusiastic about Roberto De Zerbi. The latter was appointed manager of Brighton & Hove Albion at the start of this season and is performing excellently with his side. The Seagulls even qualified for European football for the first time in history on Sunday. That performance has not gone unnoticed by Guardiola either. The coach will visit Brighton with City on Wednesday and looked ahead to the game in that capacity.

“My congratulations to Brighton for winning the Europa League in this competition,” Guardiola opens, after which he makes a striking statement about De Zerbi. “Mark what I say: I am quite convinced that he is one of the most influential managers of the last 20 years. There is no team playing like them. It is unique. When he arrived in the Premier League, he had I feel his impact would be huge, but I couldn’t have expected him to show it in such a short time.”

“Brighton creates 20 to 25 chances per game,” Guardiola continued. “He plays much better football than the rest. Everyone participates. The goalkeeper (Jason Steele, ed.) Plays like a controlling midfielder. If you don’t play against them at a high level, they do what they want. They deserve the compliments and the success they have. I’m trying to learn from De Zerbi, but he’s unique. Like a Michelin star restaurant. The way Brighton plays is unique. It’s special. The way they move, what they do. .. It will be a huge challenge for us.”

After De Zerbi ended his playing career in 2013, he quickly dived into the coaching profession. Via US Darfo Boario, Foggia, US Palermo and Benevento, the former midfielder was appointed to Sassuolo in the summer of 2018. With that club he showed attractive football and after three years he decided to leave for Shakhtar Donetsk. After one year, Brighton came knocking and with that he wrote history. The 43-year-old Italian is still with Brighton until mid-2026.

No. Team m W G v +/- Pnt
1 Manchester City 36 28 4 4 62 88
2 Arsenal 37 25 6 6 40 81
3 Newcastle United 37 19 13 5 35 70
4 Manchester United 36 21 6 9 11 69
5 Liverpool 37 19 9 9 28 66
6 Brighton & Hove Albion 36 18 7 11 20 61
7 Aston Villa 37 17 7 13 4 58
8 Tottenham Hotspur 37 17 6 14 4 57
9 Brentford 37 14 14 9 11 56
10 Fulham 37 15 7 15 3 52
11 Crystal Palace 37 11 11 15 -9 44
12 Chelsea 36 11 10 15 -6 43
13 Wolverhampton W. 37 11 8 18 -22 41
14 West Ham United 37 11 7 19 -12 40
15 AFC Bournemouth 37 11 6 20 -33 39
16 Nottingham Forest 37 9 10 18 -30 37
17 Everton 37 7 12 18 -24 33
18 Leicester City 37 8 7 22 -18 31
19 Leeds United 37 7 10 20 -27 31
20 Southampton 37 6 6 25 -37 24