With Roberto De Zerbi at the helm, there is no denying that there is some excitement in Italy about the upcoming Europa League match up between Brighton & Hove Albion and AS Roma.
The draw is certainly an appealing one, even for the neutrals, and since the two names were pulled out of the bowls, the local media have gone in overdrive to try and analyse the Seagulls.
One of the recurring themes is the focus on Evan Ferguson, whom Gazzetta dello Sport call Brighton’s ‘brightest’ star in the team.
The Ireland international is labeled as one of Roberto De Zerbi’s ‘most precious jewels’, and for the right reasons, since he has 23 appearances this season, 12 as a starter, with six goals.
It’s a haul that only three players have managed to achieve before the age of 18, which is why they are singling him out.
For Calciomercato, the danger will be De Zerbi, who is the ‘true master of the orchestra’ at Brighton, especially with the duo of Joao Pedro and Ferguson up top to cause AS Roma some problems.
In short, that’s who AS Roma will likely be most wary of, but the truth is, the Italian media know it’s a difficult tie, especially when taking into account how well they know the Brighton manager’s style of play from his days at Sassuolo.
That, as well as the team he has managed to build with the Seagulls means Daniele De Rossi and his men are going to face a very tough challenge.
