Roberto De Zerbi (Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto de dˈdzɛrbi]; born 6 June 1979) is an Italian professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion.
![]() De Zerbi in 2019 | |||
Personal information | |||
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Full name | Roberto De Zerbi[1] | ||
Date of birth | (1979-06-06) 6 June 1979 (age 43) | ||
Place of birth | Brescia, Italy | ||
Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Brighton & Hove Albion (Head Coach) | ||
Youth career | |||
0000 | AC Milan | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1998–2001 | AC Milan | 0 | (0) |
1998–1999 | → Monza (loan) | 9 | (0) |
1999–2000 | → Padova (loan) | 23 | (5) |
2000–2001 | → Avellino (loan) | 6 | (0) |
2001–2002 | Salernitana | 0 | (0) |
2001–2002 | → Lecco (loan) | 7 | (0) |
2002–2004 | Foggia | 56 | (17) |
2004–2005 | Arezzo | 27 | (4) |
2005–2006 | Catania | 34 | (7) |
2006–2010 | Napoli | 33 | (3) |
2008 | → Brescia (loan) | 17 | (1) |
2008–2009 | → Avellino (loan) | 15 | (5) |
2010–2012 | CFR Cluj | 22 | (8) |
2013 | Trento | 10 | (3) |
Total | 259 | (53) | |
Teams managed | |||
2013–2014 | Darfo Boario | ||
2014–2016 | Foggia | ||
2016 | Palermo | ||
2017–2018 | Benevento | ||
2018–2021 | Sassuolo | ||
2021–2022 | Shakhtar Donetsk | ||
2022– | Brighton & Hove Albion | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
De Zerbi started his professional career at AC Milan. He spent four seasons on loan to lower divisions clubs (Serie B to Serie C2). He spent 1999–2000 Serie C1 season in Como along with Alberto Comazzi and Luca Saudati of Milan. Half of the registration rights also sold to Salernitana in 2000–01 and 2001–02 season. In June 2002 Milan bought back De Zerbi from Salernitana and sold De Zerbi to U.S. Foggia.
De Zerbi signed for Serie A side Napoli from Catania for €2.5 million in 2006.[2]
On 8 February 2010, Napoli announced his loan transfer to Romanian Liga I club CFR Cluj, with the deal being made permanent on 31 August 2010 on a three-year contract.[3][4]
On 6 September 2016, De Zerbi was named head coach of Serie A club Palermo following Davide Ballardini's departure by mutual consent due to disagreements with the board.[5] His stint at the helm of the Sicilians however turned out to be negative, with seven consecutive defeats and no points at home in three months.[citation needed] After a penalty shootout elimination in a home match against Serie B club Spezia, De Zerbi was sacked on 30 November 2016 and replaced with former team captain Eugenio Corini.[6]
On 23 October 2017, De Zerbi was appointed manager of 2017–18 Serie A newcomers Benevento.[7] Despite the side being relegated back to Serie B at the end of the season, De Zerbi was praised for his possession-based, attacking football and transfer business.[8]
On 13 June 2018, De Zerbi was appointed manager of Sassuolo.[9] Under his tenure, Sassuolo was praised for its footballing style coupled with overachieving results, which led the small Emilian club to two consecutive eighth place spots in the Italian top flight, missing on UEFA Conference League qualification to Roma just due to goal difference at the end of the 2020–21 Serie A season.[citation needed]
In May 2021 De Zerbi announced he would leave Sassuolo by the end of the season.[10]
On 25 May 2021, De Zerbi was announced as the new head coach of Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk.[11] On 22 September he won the 2021 Ukrainian Super Cup against Dynamo Kyiv at the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv, becoming the first Italian manager to win the title.[12][13][14] He left the club in July 2022 as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[15] He managed to leave the club at the top of the UPL during the unfinished season.[16]
De Zerbi was confirmed as the new head coach of Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion on 18 September 2022, signing a four-year contract.[17] He managed his first game in England on 1 October, in a 3–3 away draw at Liverpool with Leandro Trossard becoming the first Brighton player to score a Premier League hat-trick.[18] De Zerbi lost his first game at Brighton's home stadium of Falmer Stadium on 9 October, calling his players "fantastic" despite the 1–0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.[19] He claimed his first win on 29 October, against the manager he replaced in Graham Potter, thrashing his Chelsea squad 4–1.[20]
Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
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P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
Calcio Foggia | 1 July 2014 | 14 August 2016 | 90 | 48 | 23 | 19 | 053.3 | [21] |
Palermo | 6 September 2016 | 30 November 2016 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 007.7 | [22] |
Benevento | 23 October 2017 | 30 June 2018 | 29 | 6 | 3 | 20 | 020.7 | [22] |
Sassuolo | 1 July 2018 | 24 May 2021 | 120 | 43 | 36 | 41 | 035.8 | [22] |
Shakhtar Donetsk | 25 May 2021 | 11 July 2022 | 30 | 20 | 5 | 5 | 066.7 | [22] |
Brighton & Hove Albion | 18 September 2022 | Present | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 033.3 | [22] |
Total | 291 | 121 | 71 | 99 | 041.6 |
CFR Cluj
Foggia
Shakhtar Donetsk
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Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. – current squad | |
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