Brighton and Hove Albion are on the lookout for their next manager after Roberto De Zerbi shocked the footballing fraternity by deciding to leave the club. And Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna is tipped to take over.
Roberto De Zerbi Quits Brighton; Club Looking for the Next Manager
Brighton Part Ways With de Zerbi
Brighton announced on May 18, 2024 that they had mutually decided to end their journey with De Zerbi and that the match against Manchester United was to be his last game for the club. His future at Brighton had been a subject of media speculation for the past few months.
The Italian joined the Seagulls in September 2022. He succeeded Graham Potter who left for Chelsea. During his time at Brighton, De Zerbi won many admirers for his swashbuckling style of football. Under his tutelage, Brighton secured a sixth-placed finish in the 2022/23 season, their highest in the top flight. This season he took the club to the round of 16 in the Europa League, where they lost to Italian club AS Roma.
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Expressing pride at his two-year tenure with the club, 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.”
His departure has saddened the Brighton fans who hope the club will be able to find an able successor.
Kieran McKenna Might Be Chosen as the Next Manager of Brighton
According to Talksport, Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna is the preferred choice of the Brighton hierarchy to take over the reins. But it might be quite difficult to prise him away from his current side.
McKenna has numerous achievements to his name. The Northern Irish manager has turned heads by carrying Ipswich from League One to the Premier League in the space of less than three years. He was chosen for the EFL Championship Manager of the Season award for the 2023/24 season. Moreover, like De Zerbi, he has impressed fans by deploying an impressive brand of football.
The Seagulls aren’t the only club looking at McKenna. He also has admirers at EPL giants like Chelsea and Manchester United. Joining Brighton over Chelsea or United might make more sense as he will come under immense pressure at a top-6 club. Such pressure might be tough to handle for a young manager.
But an offer from Manchester United might be too good to turn down since McKenna was a boyhood United fan. So Brighton would do well to present an offer to their man before their Manchester competitors jump in.
