Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi leading candidate to land Barcelona job

Roberto De Zerbi, the current manager of Brighton, is reportedly the early favorite to replace Xavi at Barcelona.

De Zerbi has earned praise for his work at Brighton and has also been linked with the Liverpool job following Jurgen Klopp’s decision to leave at the end of the season.

According to Ladbrokes, Roberto De Zerbi, at odds of 5/1, is currently the leading contender to become the next Barcelona manager, as reported by The Sun.

Xavi, who took charge of Barcelona in November 2021, led the club to the LaLiga title last season but has faced significant challenges and frustrations during the current campaign.

Barcelona manager Xavi announced on Saturday that he will depart the club at the end of the season.

Former Barcelona defender Rafa Marquez, who currently coaches the club’s B team, is the second favorite for the managerial position at odds of 6/1, along with former Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui.

Barcelona currently sits in third place in LaLiga, trailing leaders Real Madrid by ten points. De Zerbi took over as Brighton manager in September 2022 after managing Shakhtar Donetsk. In his debut season with Brighton, De Zerbi led the team to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where they were defeated by Manchester United.

Brighton achieved a remarkable seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season, earning qualification for the Europa League and marking their inaugural participation in European football. This season, Brighton currently occupies seventh place in the Premier League once more, having amassed 32 points from 21 games thus far.