Roberto De Zerbi will bid farewell to Brighton on Sunday after agreeing to leave by mutual consent, but it is being denied that the Italian has been secretly lined up to take over at Bayern Munich.
In a shock statement released at 3.35pm on Saturday, the Seagulls confirmed their head coach will depart after their season finale at home to Manchester United.
De Zerbi’s contract was not due to expire until 2026 but the 44-year-old is now searching for his next opportunity and is highly rated across Europe following the success of his two seasons in the Premier League.
Bayern were immediately installed as the frontrunners after Saturday’s announcement. However, word spread in Germany last night that they are not set to swoop, with the club’s director Max Eberl being quoted as saying he is not a candidate to replace Thomas Tuchel.
De Zerbi has also been linked with AC Milan and Juventus, who sacked Massimiliano Allegri on Friday. Chelsea and Manchester United have been speculated, too, with their managers’ futures still uncertain.
Roberto De Zerbi will leave Brighton at the end of the season, the club have confirmed
Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl (left) denied that their next manager would be Italian, ruling De Zerbi out of the running to replace the outgoing Thomas Tuchel
Brighton, meanwhile, are understood to be huge admirers of Kieran McKenna, the 38-year-old who led Ipswich to automatic promotion to the Premier League this season. It is unclear whether McKenna would even consider swapping clubs this summer if given the opportunity.
It was in March, when De Zerbi was being linked with the vacancies at Bayern and Liverpool, that he asked Brighton’s owner-chairman
Tony Bloom for end-of-season talks to make sure their ambitions were in alignment.
It is believed that it became clear over a series of meetings between De Zerbi and Bloom – and with chief executive Paul Barber and technical director David Weir – that their respective ‘visions’ did not match.
That ultimately led to Saturday’s split and Brighton sources have told Mail Sport that despite mutually agreeing to part ways, the Seagulls would receive compensation if another club swooped for their departing manager this summer. De Zerbi did not leave with any form of pay-off, meanwhile.
Brighton’s supporters will use Sunday to thank De Zerbi, who led them to a sixth-placed finish last campaign to secure European qualification for the first time in their history.
De Zerbi claimed earlier this month that he ‘loves’ the club and would like to stay with them
He has been holding discussions with club chairman Tony Bloom over his future
He will take the majority of his backroom team with him in his hunt for a new position
In a statement on Saturday, Bloom said: ‘We have mutually agreed to end Roberto’s contract at a time that suits both parties allowing us the earliest opportunity to plan for next season, and Roberto plenty of time to consider his next move and his future.’
De Zerbi added: ‘I am very sad to be leaving Brighton, but I am very proud of what my players and staff have achieved with the support of everyone at the club and our amazing fans in the past two historical seasons. We have agreed to end my time at Brighton so that the club and I can continue to work in the way that suits each of us best, following our own ideas and visions, as well as our work and human values.
‘I have really enjoyed an intense and challenging two years working in the Premier League, not least competing in four major competitions this season. Leaving now provides me with time to take a break before deciding on my future plans.’
Andrea Maldera, Ricard Segarra, Marcattilio Marcattilii, Vincenzo Teresa, Agostino Tibaudi, Marcello Quinto and Enrico Venturelli will also leave after today’s game. Club coaches Andrew Crofts and Jack Stern will stay.
