March 23rd 2024.
Roberto De Zerbi has quickly gained a lot of fans since taking over as the manager of Brighton. His assistant, Andrea Maldera, believes that if Napoli were to offer him a position, De Zerbi may have a hard time turning it down. Maldera says that Napoli is one of De Zerbi's favorite teams and it would be hard for him to resist the opportunity to coach there.
De Zerbi took over as the manager of Brighton in September 2022, following in the footsteps of Graham Potter. It was a daunting task, but the 44-year-old has exceeded expectations and received high praise for his work on the south coast. In his first season, De Zerbi led Brighton to European football for the first time in the club's history, finishing in sixth place. This season, they are currently in eighth place in the Premier League table.
Despite the departure of key players like Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister, and Robert Sanchez, De Zerbi has managed to keep Brighton's progress on track with a modest budget. However, the club understands that they may not be able to keep hold of De Zerbi forever, especially with interest from top clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea. Brighton's CEO, Paul Barber, has acknowledged that De Zerbi likely has ambitions to coach at a higher level in the future.
But for now, De Zerbi's focus remains on finishing the season successfully with Brighton. He has repeatedly dismissed rumors about his future when speaking to the media and is committed to his contract with the club until 2026. However, his assistant, Maldera, admits that Napoli is one of De Zerbi's favorite teams and that he has always had a special connection with Italy.
De Zerbi has openly expressed his interest in returning to his native Italy at some point in his career. He even played for Napoli from 2006 to 2010. Maldera believes that a reunion between De Zerbi and Napoli would be a perfect fit, saying that De Zerbi loves Italy and that Napoli is one of his favorite teams. He also acknowledges that they are happy at Brighton, but if an offer were to come from Italy, De Zerbi would consider it.
In a recent interview, De Zerbi said that he is happy at Brighton and is enjoying the opportunity to compete with top teams in the Europa League. However, he did mention that he would eventually like to return to Italy, but there were some things he didn't like about Italian football when he left Sassuolo for Shakhtar in 2021.
Despite his love for Italy, De Zerbi remains committed to Brighton and is focused on the current season. But it is clear that his heart is in Italy and he hopes to return one day, although he has not set a timeline for when that might be. For now, he is content with his work at Brighton and is grateful for the opportunities he has been given.
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