A pass, a touch, a pass, a pass, and wait…have these players stopped? Yes, these eleven players have just stopped and the one with the ball has one foot firmly planted on the ball. This is a description of what it was like to watch Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton side.
In the 2022/2023 season, they soared to sixth in the Premier League. That season they had the 19th-highest wage bill. There are only 20 teams in the league. An overachievement like that should guarantee any manager a lifetime contract. Only 12 months later, De Zerbi and Brighton have agreed to mutually part ways.
De Zerbi’s Football
De Zerbi has his distinct flavor of football. He adapts the keep-the-ball principles of Guardiola and Cruyff. But instead of passing to players who move toward the ball, the players pass to spaces on the field. He’s forced his players to play his way, he showed up to Brighton and changed the players’ playstyle not waiting for the players who can.
In attack, De Zerbi’s attackers often look like they just beat five guys and have two players left to beat. Yet this isn’t true, because of the spaces on the field the players occupy they just have a lot of space to maneuver. Think offensive NFL coach geniuses scheming players open.
In defense, De Zerbi’s teams play a high-press. They try to win the ball back as soon as possible and have the defensive line up as high as possible. This allows teams to get behind the backline and have chances.
One of De Zerbi’s principles is to be the “protagonist,”. He constantly preaches this in interviews. The teams he coaches need to be brave and they need to be able to play his way without fear. They need to trust not only in their coach but in themselves. What De Zerbi does is change the way players think about football and by extension about life itself.
De Zerbi’s Current Heights
“Pay attention to what I’m going to say because I’m pretty convinced I’m right – Roberto De Zerbi is one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years.”-Pep Guardiola.
How the heck is the greatest manager of all time saying this about you, and then the club you work for lets you leave? Well, because things are complicated, De Zerbi has garnered a reputation for being difficult to work with.
There is a dichotomy that exists in the Premier League and much of Europe. The age of the modern owner is upon us and the owners of these clubs want to implement their ideas and recruitment strategy with their analytics and data.
This is not what successful modern clubs have done though. They are built around a singular managerial figure who has input on everything from the signings and diets of the players. Look at Arsenal under Michel Arteta, Manchester City with Pep, and Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp.
Brighton found their guy. De Zerbi is the type of figure that you could build your club around. Sure he has some quirks that may throw people off and he wasn’t happy working in the structure of Brighton’s model. However, when will Brighton get another coach like this? It’s never a guarantee that the next guy is going to be as good as the last.
De Zerbi Was Gone Anyway
There is a counter to the thought Brighton should’ve built their club around him, and that is whether he will ever stay there for the long term. Probably not. De Zerbi had been linked to the Liverpool job (he would’ve taken it) and the Bayern Munich (he, also would’ve taken that job). Brighton probably didn’t want to lose De Zerbi in the middle of next season and wanted to get a jumpstart on the hiring process.
Where Should De Zerbi Go Next
De Zerbi will not be out of work for long, even though he has said he doesn’t have a job lined up yet. He is strongly linked to Chelsea and it wouldn’t be surprising for him to stay in the Premier League. Yet there is a club that would suit him the best.
Napoli, from Naples, Italy, won the title in 2022-2023. Then, they had one of the worst title defenses in Italian top-flight history. With the uncertainty surrounding title winners Inter Milan, plus Juventus and AC Milan looking to hire new coaches, there is an opening. Napoli also will most likely be cash-rich this summer with the likely sale of Victor Osimhen.
They also have a lot of the same players from their title-winning side. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is the perfect De Zerbi-type winger who thrived in former manager Luciano Speletti’s possession-based system.
De Zerbi will have low expectations, only have league football, and most likely have a big-time striker replacement for Osimhen. There won’t ever be a perfect fit in club football. De Zerbi will be wanted by many big clubs around Europe. But, returning to Italy and guiding Napoli back to title-winning form could be just what he needs.
Note: Napoli is in advanced talks with former Juventus and Chelsea manager Antonio Conte.
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