Roberto De Zerbi confirmed on Tuesday, during his presentation as Brighton manager, that he spoke to Pep Guardiola, his Manchester City colleague, before taking over to fill the vacancy left by Graham Potter when he left Chelsea.
“I talked with Pep on Sunday night, yes. He is very happy that he is here,” revealed the Italian coach. “He told me very good things about the club and if I needed it he would be happy to help me, but of course not in the game we played against them!” The two teams will meet on October 22 at the Etihad.
The reasons for your choice
De Zerbi, Brighton’s first choice for the bench, also revealed that he chose this option over other opportunities. “Brighton really like me as a manager and their style of play is very similar to my idea of football,” he said. “We met as soon as we started talking. Of course, other teams are interested in me, but I’m glad to be here.”
Marked by his experience in Ukraine
De Zerbi is available after leaving his previous role as Shakhtar Donetsk manager earlier this year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Of course I didn’t expect it to end in February and of course it was bad not only because of the war but because I have to leave something that was going very well,” recalls De Zerbi.
“All I can do is continue to work with the same passion. Of course I bring these experiences with me as well as my feelings for the Ukrainian people and the players I have coached.”
Promise to speak English in January
De Zerbi, whose first game in charge of Brighton is against Liverpool at Anfield on October 1, spoke through a translator for most of the news conference but began his appearance in English and promised that the language would not will be an obstacle for a long time.
“Sorry about my English, my goal is to start speaking English in January,” said De Zerbi. “I am very happy to be here, I am very happy to be the new manager and I want to thank the president and the club. I have studied every player and I will do a very good job.”
Brighton are fourth in the Premier League and have not played since Potter’s departure as matches against Bournemouth and Crystal Palace were postponed due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II in the former and a rail strike in the latter.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
