“The crazy player” – Roberto De Zerbi discusses his playing career and why he prefers management

When asked about De Zerbi the player, the Brighton boss said: “I was a crazy player, because I didn’t love the rules, I didn’t love a lot of my coaches. It was always a war with them.”

De Zerbi was named as Graham Potter’s successor to the Brighton head coach role on September 18, with many English football fans knowing little about the 43-year-old.

He has become admired and respected within the game for his coaching style and outlook in the late 2010s, gaining admirers for his attractive, possession-based football whilst working at Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk.

Signs of this footballing vision have been evident in the early days of his Albion career, but few Seagulls supporters will be aware of De Zerbi’s 15-year-playing career that shaped the man he is today.

Whilst in south-east Europe, De Zerbi won his first league title as a player in the 2011-2012, playing 10 games and scoring three goals in the title-winning campaign, as well as experiencing Champions League football for the first time.

When asked about De Zerbi the player, the Brighton boss said: “I was a crazy player, because I didn’t love the rules, I didn’t love a lot of my coaches. It was always a war with them.”

De Zerbi started his professional career at AC Milan at the age of 19, but was unable to break into the first team in the four years he was there, spending the majority of his time out on loan at lower division Italian teams such as Monza, Padova, Avellino and Lecco.

The attacking midfielder’s career finally began to take shape when he moved to Calcio Foggia in the Italian fourth division and became a fundamental player, alongside defensive midfielder Michele Pazienza, in helping The Rossoneri win promotion back to the Serie C1.

In his two season at the club, De Zerbi scored 17 goals in 56 games, with his performances earning him a move to S.S. Arezzo, who had recently been promoted to Serie B.

The Tuscany side struggled whilst De Zerbi was there, barley managing to survive relegation in 2005, with many players falling out with manager Pasquale Marino, leading to De Zerbi moving again, this time to the controversial Catania.

The Sicily club were at the centre of a controversy that led to the enlargement of Serie B from 20 to 24 teams, known as ‘Caso Catania’, which saw the club remain a Serie B club after the Italian Football Federation awarded them two extra points from a 1-1 draw against Sienna, a game in which the opposition had fielded an ineligible player, meaning Caso survived relegation.

The ruling led to protests and boycotts by the other Serie B clubs that delayed the start of the season, until the intervention of the Italian government, but this did not affect De Zerbi.

Despite the chaos off the pitch, the midfielder was regular starter and instrumental player in getting Catania promoted to the top flight of Italian football, the I Rossazzurri finished second, three points behind champions Atalanta.

After spending eight years in the lower levels of the Italian footballing pyramid, De Zerbi finally had an opportunity to show his talents at the highest level and earned himself a move to one of the county’s biggest clubs Napoli, in a deal that cost the club €2.5 million.

The Italian struggled to make an impression on the first team as the Naples club grew into a European heavyweight, meaning De Zerbi played second fiddle to iconic players such as Marek Hamšík, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Manuele Blasi.

De Zerbi spent two seasons out on loan Brescia and Avellino whilst under contract in Naples, before signing a three-year-deal with Romanian champions CFR Cluj.

Whilst in south-east Europe, De Zerbi won his first league title as a player in the 2011-2012, playing 10 games and scoring three goals in the title-winning campaign, as well as experiencing Champions League football for the first time.

The Italian retired from playing at the age of 34, following a final season in Italy with Trento, and moved straight into coaching, earning his first head coach role in 2016 with Serie A team Palmero.

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When asked how De Zerbi the manager would deal with De Zerbi the player, a question the Brighton boss said he gets asked every season, he replied: “I’m 43-years-old and when I was a player, I was younger. I am the same person, now I have a different way and view. With respect, If I had a honest coach like I am we could have had a good relationship, maybe quarrelling sometimes, but that’s what makes the relationships much more real and much more passionate.

“But of course I had a couple of coaches of which I had a good relationship with and some that I had a very tight relationship with.”

De Zerbi says he is a better coach then he was a player and has already received high praise from Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola since he moved to the south coast of England to replace Potter at the Amex Stadium.

He explained: “I love to work in a tactical way. To prepare the games with strategy but the best part of my work is about the relationship with players and I like when one player has a problem.

“I like to understand before and I like to help them to find the best position to give them confidence because you can speak about tactical starting XI, 442, but about the head and psychological area is more important than all other part of the football.

“And if you are honest and clear with the players they cannot not give respect in the same way you give respect you receive it back.”

The man spent 15 years at 14 clubs, gaining countless experiences from every possible level of the game. If his management career is anything like his playing one, Albion fans can expect to be in for a slightly chaotic but memorable ride.