Roberto De Zerbi is one of the best managerial prospects in Europe, as he has been doing an exceptional job with a team like Brighton. The Italian has transformed the mid-table club into a genuine force that is capable of dominating opposition teams including Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
His tactics and style of playing, along with his ability to bring out the best in his players, is making him an attractive option for many teams. And it seems that his next club could be in Spain.
Roberto De Zerbi touted to replace Xavi in Barca dugout?
Barcelona are the club heavily interested in bringing in Roberto De Zerbi to their managerial role. The team has suffered this season and seems to lack a clear philosophy or style of playing. Current boss Xavi has already decided to leave the club at the end of the season, and the Blaugrana are looking to replace him with another top candidate.
Barcelona are interested in many other coaches such as Hansi Flick, Jurgen Klopp, Xabi Alonso and many others. However, many sources report that Roberto De Zerbi is the top priority for the club, especially for president Joan Laporta.
De Zerbi’s philosophy of playing is very similar to Barcelona as well. Apparently, he has asked scout reports on the manager’s personality in order to know whether he will be able to handle the pressures of a team like Barca and their players.
De Zerbi has played down rumors of any moves away from Brighton in recent weeks, and he has a €10m release clause in his contract as well. Barcelona’s financial situation could mean that this might pose as an obstacle. They are reportedly in contact with the Italian’s agents and are trying to convince the manager to join their club.
Looking at Roberto De Zerbi’s managerial journey
Roberto De Zerbi didn’t have a remarkable playing career, spending time in the lower divisions of Italian football. His coaching journey began in 2016 when he became the manager of Palermo. Unfortunately, his time there ended poorly, resulting in his dismissal.
He then moved on to manage Benevento, where despite relegating them to Serie B, he started receiving praise for his attractive possession-based and attacking style of soccer. In 2018, De Zerbi took on the managerial role at Sassuolo and exceeded expectations with the team.
He then took over Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine and won his first trophy there. Due to the Russian invasion, he had to leave the club. This paved the way for Premier League club Brighton to bring him in 2022, having lost Graham Potter to Chelsea.
Since then, he has led them brilliantly, and is currently regarded as one of the best managers in England. His side beat many big teams including Liverpool and Manchester City, and even got a semi-final finish in the FA Cup.
There is no doubt that Roberto De Zerbi is a brilliant and gifted young manager, and Barcelona’s interest in him proves just that.
