- Brighton & Hove Albion have announced that manager Roberto De Zerbi will leave the club after Sunday’s final game of the season against Manchester United
- According to Brighton chairman Tony Bloom, the Italian manager is leaving after both parties reached a mutual agreement to terminate his contract
Brighton & Hove Albion have announced that manager Roberto De Zerbi will leave the club after Sunday’s final game of the season.
The Seagulls face Manchester United at Amex Stadium today in what will be officially De Zerbi’s final game in charge of the club. According to Brighton chairman Tony Bloom, the Italian manager is leaving after both parties reached a mutual agreement to terminate his contract.
“Roberto has given us two excellent seasons of service in which he has led the club to new heights, not least our first ever European campaign which will live long in the memory of Albion fans. We have mutually agreed to end Roberto’s contract at a time that suits both parties allowing us the earliest opportunity to plan for next season, and Roberto plenty of time to consider his next move and his future.” Tony Bloom said as Brighton announced the exit of Roberto, according to Sky Sports.
Roberto De Zerbi joined Brighton in September 2022 after the exit of Graham Potter. Photo/ The Times.
Bloom is hopping that Brighton fans will give the 44-year-old a decent farewell during today’s match at home.
Roberto De Zerbi joined Brighton in September 2022 after Graham Potter left for Chelsea. He led the Seagulls’ to a sixth place finish in his debut season, which is the highest ever in the club’s history.
Brighton played European football for the first time in their history this season and enjoyed victories over Ajax, Marseille and AEK Athens in the Europa League. Their journey in Europe came to an end in the round of 16 where they were knocked out by Italian side Roma.
De Zerbi has been linked with high profile moves to clubs such as FC Barcelona and Manchester United during his time at Brighton.
Speaking after his exit was announced, the former Shakhtar Donetsk head coach said that leaving immediately after the end of the season gives him the time to take a break before deciding on his future. He added that he is sad about his departure but is very proud of what his Brighton squad and coaching staff achieved during their time together.
De Zerbi will be leaving alongside seven of his coaching staff. His exit might comes as a shock to many but there has been speculations about his future with both manager and the club failing to reach an agreement on signing a new deal back in March.
Brighton currently sit tenth on the Premier League standings and can’t finish past that position even if they beat Manchester United later today.
Who Will Replace De Zerbi At Brighton?
Brighton are already on the market searching for a new manager after announcing that De Zerbi will leave the club at the end of the season.
According to reports, one of the managers in Brighton’s list is Ipswich Town head coach Kieran McKenna. The 38-year-old just secured promotion to the English Premier League with Ipswich and has attracted the attention of top clubs, including the Seagulls.
Ipswich Town head coach Kieran McKenna has been linked with Brighton. Photo/ Sky Sports.
McKenna has led Ipswich to back-to-back promotions ending the club’s 22-year absence from top flight football. Ipswich Town were playing in League One prior to this season.
Apart from McKenna, another manager who could replace De Zerbi is Vincent Kompany. The Belgian led Burnley to promotion to the Premier League from Championship at the end of last season. Even though his side has not performed greatly in the Premier League, he was linked to Brighton last month.
The Seagulls’ former boss Graham Potter, who failed at Chelsea, could return to management at Amex Stadium after turning down a deal from Dutch club Ajax.
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