In a shocking turn of events, Brighton and Hove Albion have confirmed manager Roberto De Zerbi will leave the club at the end of the season.

Brighton & Hove Albion has confirmed that head coach Roberto De Zerbi will leave the club after tomorrow’s final Premier League match of the season against Manchester United.

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) May 18, 2024

With 88 games in charge and an average of 1.52 points per match, the Italian departs the South Coast club after two full seasons in charge. He led the Seagulls to their highest ever top flight finish in his first season in charge, qualifying for Europe for the first time in the club's history. Despite being eliminated by Roma in the round of sixteen, Brighton made it out of a group featuring Ajax, Marseille and AEK Athens. De Zerbi will face Manchester United at The Amex tomorrow in his last game in charge with the club currently sitting in tenth.

It’s been a tough season this time around for the Italian, he lost star midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo to Liverpool and Chelsea respectively. With the blues paying a British record £115m fee to secure Caicedo’s services last summer.

Despite reinvestment in the squad with marquee signings like Joao Pedro and Carlos Baleba, the Seagulls have been hit hard by injuries this season. With De Zerbi constantly rotating his team and hinting in press conferences that he was disappointed about a lack of investment in the squad after huge player sales.

In a club statement De Zerbi said:

“I am very sad to be leaving Brighton, but I am very proud of what my players and staff have achieved with the support of everyone at the club and our amazing fans in the past two historical seasons.

“We have agreed to end my time at Brighton so that the club and I can continue to work in the way that suits each of us best, following our own ideas and visions, as well as our work and human values.

“I have really enjoyed an intense and challenging two years working in the Premier League, not least competing in four major competitions this season. Leaving now provides me with time to take a break before deciding on my future plans.” Andrea Maldera, Ricard Segarra, Marcattilio Marcattilii, Vincenzo Teresa, Agostino Tibaudi, Marcello Quinto and Enrico Venturelli will also leave after tomorrow’s final Premier League match. Club coaches Andrew Crofts and Jack Stern will remain with Brighton & Hove Albion.

So where next for the Italian? Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Juventus and a whole host of top European clubs will be circling. De Zerbi has already been linked to the job in Munich, with journalist Christian Falk saying he is the first choice of sporting director Max Eberl.