Brighton boss makes 'tourist' claim as Man United book semi-final spot after Fulham chaos

The Seagulls manager visited the ‘home of football’ last June to watch his native Italy take on Argentina in the Finalissima, he said “like an Italian fan”, but his next seat will be in the dugout.

Brighton’s decisive 5-0 victory over League Two Grimsby was enough to assure the Seagulls of just their third trip to the final four, where they will face Man United after they beat Fulham 3-1 at Old Trafford in their quarter-final.

“We can decide or we go to Wembley to visit Wembley like a tourist, or we go to try to win,” said De Zerbi. “I know it will be very difficult against Man United or Fulham but if you play, you want to win. Always. In every competition.

“I think it is good for us. We want to change our target and if you fix your target higher, it is easier to lose, but it is the way to grow up, to progress and to improve.

“I think I prefer to improve, maybe losing (along the way), but fixing the target deeper. I don’t like the target too easy.”

Brighton were the Premier League side who finally slayed the Mariners after they had defeated Southampton to become just the fifth tier-four side to reach the quarter-finals and the first team in FA Cup history to beaten five teams from a higher division in a single season in the competition.

They were able to hold their opponents – 76 places up the English football pyramid – to just Deniz Undav’s sixth-minute strike by half-time before Brighton took a firm grip after the restart.

Evan Ferguson scored a brace on another excellent afternoon for the 18-year-old at the Amex before Solly March and Kaoru Mitoma put the contest firmly out of reach.

Asked if it would be more satisfying to lead Brighton to a Champions League berth or their first major trophy, De Zerbi replied: “I think I can’t decide. But I don’t want this doubt. I want everything. I want to fight in every competition.

“I don’t know where we will arrive, where we will achieve, but I know very well we are ready to fight. We are ready to try to win and we are ready to try to achieve our target.”