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Chelsea and Liverpool managerial target slammed by chairman and compared to Tiger Woods
Chelsea and Liverpool could both appoint new managers ahead of next season.
Roberto De Zerbi has been ridiculed by Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony for questioning his Brighton future amid links to Chelsea and Liverpool. The Italian coach has done a brilliant job at Brighton over the last two years and is said to be admired by a number of top clubs.
Chelsea are reportedly weighing up a summer move for De Zerbi if Mauricio Pochettino is sacked before the start of next season. He has also been linked with the Liverpool job as Jurgen Klopp prepares to step down, although it has been widely reported that he does not feature on the Reds' list of candidates.
Quizzed on his future last week, De Zerbi refused to rule out the possibility of leaving Brighton despite being under contract until the summer of 2026.
He said: "I have not decided yet what my future is. I have the contract, but I want to speak with [Brighton owner] Tony Bloom and my club to understand their plan. Then we will take the decision together."
MacAnthony was left unimpressed with De Zerbi's response, with the Peterborough supremo claiming on talkSPORT that he needs to 'get back in his box' and avoid falling into the trap of believing his own hype.
"He’s had more clubs than Tiger Woods, I think he needs to calm down," said MacAnthony. "He’s played some lovely football, they’ve done OK. Tony Bloom won’t lose a moment’s sleep about that. He loses top players and replaces them and makes millions, and he plays poker for a living.
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"So I’d imagine him sitting with this fella and saying: 'Get back in your box, you’ve got a long-term contract, what do we need to speak about? Calm down and stop drinking your own Kool-Aid until you’ve actually done something. You’re top 10 at the moment, you’re playing some decent football, but don’t get ahead of yourself'. And that’s the reality.
MacAnthony went on to suggest that De Zerbi needs to win something before he can put himself forward for the top jobs at Chelsea and Liverpool, adding: "You look at his record and whatever else. Whilst he’s done very well in the Premier League the last couple of years, he has been a bit of a nomad.
"He’s been everywhere, but he’s never had great success anywhere. So go and be successful, go and win something and then you can give answers like that."