Italian manager Roberto de Zerbi recently left his managerial position at Brighton after their final match against Manchester United over the weekend. De Zerbi’s contract with Brighton and Hove Albion was due to expire in the summer of 2026 but the manager reached a mutual agreement to leave Brighton after their season finale at home.
Back in March, the manager was linked with several high-profile jobs including Liverpool and Bayern Munich and the Italian decided to have an end-of-season discussion with Brighton owner Tony Bloom to make sure their ideas for the upcoming summer window were in alignment.
It seems like De Zerbi had different ideas from chairman Tony Bloom as the former wanted the Brighton board to be aggressive in the summer window. According to Mail Sport, the Italian wanted to take some risks in the transfer market but Bloom was unwilling to budge on the manager’s principles.
Since the arrival of Roberto de Zerbi in 2022, Brighton enjoyed rapid success finishing in the Europa League spots and taking the Seagulls to their highest-ever Premier League finish of sixth.
But ultimately, the board didn’t align with the manager’s approach and in the end, it meant the end of De Zerbi’s association with Brighton and Hove Albion.
Which clubs are in a position to hire Roberto de Zerbi?
According to reports, the 44-year-old manager has been linked with a move to Serie A side AC Milan, who are looking for an immediate replacement for Stefano Pioli. Like Milan, many clubs were interested in the former manager but were deterred by his release clause.
The Italian tactician has become a hot property following his disassociation with Brighton. He’s also a viable target for Chelsea who most recently sacked Mauricio Pochettino even after he guided the club to a respectable sixth-place European finish this season.
If Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is relieved of his duties after the FA Cup final, Mauricio Pochettino or Roberto de Zerbi could be in the frame to take the Man United hot seat this summer. The Dutch manager faces an uncertain future after guiding United to their worst-ever Premier League finish.
De Zerbi is one the youngest managers in European football who has been appreciated for his imposing brand of football.
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