Brighton confirm appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as new head coach

Brighton have confirmed the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi as new head coach, replacing Graham Potter following his move to Chelsea earlier this month.

The Italian has reached an agreement with the Seagulls on a four-year contract that was finalised on Sunday afternoon after talks earlier in the week.

Although Brighton haven’t played this weekend due to postponements relating to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, De Zerbi has already watched his new players in a friendly behind closed doors.

After coaching at lower league level in Italy, De Zerbi made his name during a successful spell with Sassuolo and was most recently in charge at Shakhtar Donetsk.

“Roberto has shown his undoubted ability with his work in Italy and Ukraine, and what he achieved at Sassuolo certainly stands out,” Brighton technical director David Weir said.

“In his short spell with Shakhtar he enjoyed further success, leading the club to cup success and topping the Ukrainian league before the war brought an abrupt halt to his time there.

“We are delighted to welcome Roberto and we look forward to introducing him to our squad as well as providing all the support he needs to introduce his coaching philosophy and help the players continue their brilliant start to the season.”