Real Madrid might look to appoint 44-year-old Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi as the replacement for Carlo Ancelotti.
According to a report by Cadena SER, Roberto De Zerbi is the subject of interest from Real Madrid. The Merengues are scouring the market for a replacement for Carlo Ancelotti, who might leave at the end of the 2023/24 season. And the Brighton & Hove Albion boss has emerged as one of their targets.
Roberto De Zerbi has had to bide his time to be recognised as one of the best tacticians in the game. An attacking midfielder during his career as a footballer, he was a journeyman and did not represent many well-known clubs apart from Napoli and went under the radar.
The 44-year-old entered the managerial world as a 34-year-old a decade ago. The Italian tactician had short stints at Darfo Boario, Foggia, Palermo, and Benevento before finding his feet at Sassuolo. And De Zerbi’s stock finally started rising during his stint with the Neroverdi.
De Zerbi’s star rose as his team played an eye-catching brand of football. And his progress at Sassuolo earned him a job at Shakhtar Donetsk. But the spell in Ukraine was not as fruitful as he would have liked as the Russia-Ukraine war cut it short. However, he has finally become a household name since leaving Shakhtar Donetsk, with his stint with Brighton & Hove Albion already being a success.
The 44-year-old arrived at the Amex Stadium only a month into the 2022/23 season after Graham Potter joined Chelsea. But he immediately got his ideas through to the players, who played some of the best football in the Premier League last term. In addition, he guided Brighton to European qualification, as they finished sixth in the Premier League table.
The Seagulls have started the 2023/24 season from where they left off, climbing into the top four. But Brighton’s progress has brought more eyeballs on De Zerbi, with Real Madrid identifying him as a target. And Los Blancos might approach the Premier League club if Carlo Ancelotti leaves at the end of the campaign.
Ancelotti might join Brazil as the new head coach, with the Selecao yet to appoint a replacement for Tite. So, the Merengues need to be alert and scour the market for a replacement. Recent reports have suggested that Xabi Alonso might be Real Madrid’s next manager. But Bayer Leverkusen might fight hard to keep hold of the Spaniard.
So, it behoves the Spanish giants to keep their options open, with De Zerbi now on their managerial shortlist. But it will be interesting to see if the 44-year-old Brighton manager becomes Real Madrid’s top target to replace Ancelotti.
