NEWS. . . BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Roberto De Zerbi has cast doubt on his long career as Brighton manager, saying he wants to be sure his “plan” and “vision” align with the club even before he signs a new contract.
The 44-year-old replaced Graham Potter in September 2022 and led Brighton to European competition for the first time in club history with a sixth-place finish last season.
The Seagulls have struggled to succeed at heights this season, with the team in ninth place in the table, De Zerbi has fared admirably given that 3 of his key players, Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister and Robert Sanchez, were sold for a lot of money. last summer.
De Zerbi’s good fortune on the south coast has reportedly caught the attention of some of Europe’s elite groups and recent reports claimed that the Italian had settled in as one of Liverpool’s top targets to succeed Jurgen Klopp after Xabi Alonso proved he would remain important at Bayer. .
Chelsea and Manchester United have all been credited with interest in the former Shakhtar Donetsk manager, and Mauricio Pochettino and Erik ten Hag have suffered disappointing campaigns at Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford respectively this season.
This weekend, Liverpool have the chance to keep an eye on De Zerbi as they prepare to host Brighton on Merseyside in what promises to be an intriguing clash between two of the most exciting teams in English football.
Asked if he could assure Brighton fans that he would remain at the club next season, De Zerbi told reporters: “I have another way of deciding my future.
“First of all, I need to communicate it to my club. I have a contract but the challenge is the contract, the challenge is to locate the same plan, the same goal, the same vision for the future.
“For me, I don’t have what my future is yet, because I have the contract, but anyway I need to talk to [owner] Tony [Bloom], to my club, to understand his plan, to understand his plan, Tony’s. plan. Then we make the resolution together, without any problems.
“My relationship with my players, my fans, I don’t think it can be replaced in terms of the future. What we have done is historic and we cannot do it.
“In the long term, I need to continue to be my ambition, my motivation. I live for football 24 hours a day and I need to know what the plan is, what the mission is, what the long-term future is, because if I don’t feel comfortable or if I don’t feel the right motivation, I can’t stay anymore. ‘
De Zerbi, whose current contract expires in 2026, said he was not yet close to reaching an agreement with the Brighton hierarchy on a conceivable extension.
When asked if he would sign a new contract at the Amex Stadium, De Zerbi replied: “At the moment, no.
“We talked but we couldn’t reach an agreement. But the contract is part of the future.
“It’s vital to them, it’s vital to me, it’s vital to everybody, but it’s a small component. The big component is the plan. We want to communicate that to the club. These are general things in football.
De Zerbi has plenty of fans in his home Italy and Brighton assistant Andrea Maldera, speaking earlier this month, said his compatriot could find it difficult to turn down Napoli if the Serie A champions come to call him up in the future.
“From Zerbi to Naples? He’s in love with Italy”, Maldera Radio’s goal on Kiss Kiss Napoli.
“It’s his country and Napoli is one of his teams.
“We’re doing well at Brighton. We still have two years left on our contract, so if an offer came from Italy and also from Napoli, Roberto would take it into account.
“I don’t know, but why say no to a position like Napoli’s?
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