Pep Guardiola tips Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi to be his successor at Man City
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Roberto De Zerbi hailed by Pep Guardiola || Credit: Imago

Pep Guardiola tips Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi to be his successor at Man City

Stephen Oladehinde 16:47 - 20.10.2023

Pep Guardiola has made no secret of his respect for Roberto De Zerbi's technical prowess and has tipped him to succeed him at Man City.

Brighton will travel to the Etihad Stadium to face last season's Premier League and treble winners Manchester City.

City who have lost three games in a row before the International break will be looking to bounce back against the Seagulls.

Ahead of the clash, Man City manager Pep Guardiola has hailed the Brighton manager and has given a hint that he could succeed him at the Etihad.

Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi || Credit: Imago
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi || Credit: Imago

Guardiola’s word about De Zerbi

Ahead of Brighton’s clash against City, Guardiola has given a hint on who could succeed him at Manchester City.

Roberto De Zerbi, who was out of earshot farther down the tunnel, was hailed by the Spanish manager and said, as reported by the Telegraph, “That’s the next Man City manager.”

The Catalan had not been silent about his opinions about De Zerbi throughout the course of the season.

On the eve of this meeting with Brighton, the Catalan, arguably the best coach of his generation, has even gone so far as to say that De Zerbi was one of the most influential managers of the previous 20 years. 

Guardiola praises Brighton in particular for their ability to create from the back, which he says makes them the greatest in the world.

Man City manager Pep Guardiola || Credit: Imago
Man City manager Pep Guardiola || Credit: Imago

He has, however, praised De Zerbi's usage of the "free man" and in particular the time they give themselves to make the best choices at the proper pace, not to mention their capacity to draw adversaries in before dismantling them.

Pep himself is not shy about acknowledging that watching De Zerbi's team play has taught him a lot about the game.