Roberto De Zerbi explains Pep Guardiola conversation before taking Brighton role

The 43-year-old is the first Italian to take charge at Brighton and signed a four-year contract with the Seagulls on Sunday to become the successor to Graham Potter, who departed for Chelsea earlier this month.

De Zerbi – who was most recently in charge at Shakhtar Donetsk but left the club in July because of the ongoing war in Ukraine – earned glowing reviews for his style of football during a three-year tenure at Serie A outfit Sassuolo.

He led them to two eighth-place finishes in Serie A, and he won last year’s Ukrainian Super Cup with Shakhtar.

It was enough to catch the eye of Brighton owner Tony Bloom, chief executive Paul Barber and technical director David Weir who met De Zerbi in London last week and swiftly sealed a deal for their No 1 target.

De Zerbi also dismissed "speculation" linking him with a move to Juventus ahead of taking the Brighton role and then elaborated on his relationship with Pep Guardiola.

“As for Guardiola’s football, I think Pep is an unreachable coach, because he proved it in England, Germany, and Spain," said De Zerbi who spoke mostly through an interpreter but vowed to speak English to the press by January.

"Guardiola contacted me on Sunday, he’s very happy and spoke highly of this club, said he’s always ready to help me if I should need anything – except for the game we play against each other.

"We met each other when he was the trainer in Bayern. A couple of months a go I flew to Manchester to meet with him. He is a great trainer and we all look at him.”

De Zerbi has some time to settle in and meet his new players as Brighton’s next fixture is after the international break at Liverpool on October 1, with his first home match at the Amex Stadium against Tottenham on October 8.

Brighton are currently fourth in the Premier League and De Zerbi admits he is not looking to make major short-term changes.

The former Napoli midfielder has already had the chance to see his new players in action against Chelsea during a behind closed doors friendly at the Amex Stadium last Saturday.

"Potter made a great job,” he said. “Everyone knows what Potter did here but I am not Potter. We have things in common, principles and mentality. We can keep this mentality and those principles but I would try to bring here my clear idea – without making good changes. I believe in my players and myself.

"I have studied all the players. The team knows what they have to do on the pitch. They have a clear style. I believe perfection does not exist and there is always something to improve.

"[It is] one thing to watch the game, the other is to train them. I have something in my brain I want to bring here without making big changes. It is possible to improve and this is my goal. For me this is a big challenge. I'm proud to be here. I come here very humble. But I come here with my personality to do work.”

It's a daunting start to De Zerbi's Brighton career as after Liverpool and Tottenham he will also face Potter's Chelsea and Guardiola's City.

"Somewhere you have to play against these teams.When you see Liverpool and Tottenham, it is not easy but I believe a lot in my team. I like my players a lot, we have to play our football and show our mentality."