Brighton and Hove Albion manager Roberto de Zerbi has been labelled a ‘genius’, albeit one who is “crazy” when he gets on the sidelines.
That’s according to his former player Maxime López, who is a fan of the Italian after working under him at Sassuolo.
De Zerbi is currently lighting up the Premier League with Brighton, having taken charge of the Seagulls in September last year following Graham Potter’s move to Chelsea.
Since then Brighton have gone from strength to strength, playing an attacking brand of football that has seen them winning 13 of their 25 games under the Italian so far.
They’re currently competing for a place in Europe next season, sitting eighth in the Premier League and level on points with Liverpool in sixth, and for the FA Cup, where they’re set to face Manchester United.
De Zerbi has been credited for much of their success this season, with reports already linking him to bigger jobs thanks to the way he’s got Brighton playing.
The Italian coach is racking up fans but López was already one of them after playing under him at Sassuolo.
“I call him ‘the genius’,” he told So Foot.
“The first training sessions were mentally and physically intense, but afterwards you enjoy yourself. On the other hand, be careful, he’s like Bielsa, he’s crazy in his head.
“He’s a sweetheart off the pitch, but when he gets on the pitch… The mental load is almost heavier than the physical load. Until he gets what he wants, he doesn’t stop.
“The sessions lasted two and a half hours, and in the six months I worked with him, we had to do at least one three-hour session.
“The guy is a perfectionist. I talk a lot with Samir Nasri, and he says it’s the same with Guardiola. For me, he is another Guardiola.”
