Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi made history when Brighton beat Southampton 3-1 in the 37th round of the Premier League, securing their first-ever appearance in a European competition.
Facing bottom-of-the-table Southampton at The Amex, Brighton dominated possession with 63%, 26 shots with eight on target, compared to five and one for their opponents. The home side scored three goals thanks to a brace from 18-year-old striker Evan Ferguson and a strike from Pascal Gross, while Southampton pulled one back through Mohamed Elyounoussi.
This 3-1 victory ensures Brighton will finish in the top 7, four points ahead of eighth-placed Tottenham. They are also highly likely to finish in the top 6, being three points ahead of Aston Villa, having a superior goal difference (+20 compared to +4), and having played one fewer game. Brighton still have a rescheduled match against Man City on May 24th and then an away game against Aston Villa on May 28th.
Coach De Zerbi and defender Pervis Estupiñán celebrate the 3-1 victory over Southampton at the Amex Stadium on May 21st. Photo: Twitter / @OfficialBHAFC
If Brighton finish in the top six, they will qualify for the Europa League next season. If they finish seventh, they will compete in the Europa Conference League. But regardless of which competition they participate in, the 2023-2024 season will be Brighton's first ever European Cup competition in their 121-year history.
Besides securing a place in continental competition, De Zerbi also made history by becoming the manager who led Brighton to the most points in a single Premier League season with 61 points, and with two games remaining to break this record.
Following the victory against Southampton, De Zerbi admitted that qualifying for European competition was the greatest achievement of his career and proudly stated that fans would still remember this accomplishment 20 or 30 years from now. "This is more important than salary. When you achieve something so massive and important, it's priceless," he emphasized.
According to Football Italy , De Zerbi is rumored to be returning to his native Italy next season, having been contacted by Juventus and Napoli. However, he denied this information and pledged his commitment to Brighton. "I never thought about leaving the team, returning to Italy or going to another Premier League club," he emphasized.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Brighton are already planning their transfer activities, having completed the signings of James Milner (Liverpool) and Mahmoud Dahoud (Dortmund) on free transfers, and signed Joao Pedro from Watford. Conversely, the Amex Stadium owners are willing to let go of Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister if they receive a reasonable offer.
De Zerbi is an attacking midfielder who played for several Italian clubs such as AC Milan, Salernitana, and Napoli, and began his coaching career at Darfo Boario. He then went on to manage Foggia, Palermo, Benevento, Sassuolo, and made a name for himself at Shakhtar Donetsk. He became the first Italian coach to win the Italian Super Cup when he led Shakhtar to victory over Dynamo Kyiv in Kyiv in September 2021, but he soon left the club due to the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
After Graham Potter moved to Chelsea, Brighton appointed De Zerbi on a four-year contract. He led Brighton to 19 wins, 6 draws, and 12 losses, securing European qualification and reaching the FA Cup semi-finals – where they lost to Manchester United on penalties.
Hong Duy
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