'I called him Mini Pep' - Former Manchester City and Arsenal star Bacary Sagna on Roberto De Zerbi comparison with Pep Guardiola

Former Arsenal and Manchester City full-back Bacary Sagna has heaped praise on new Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi.
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The Frenchman played under the Italian for half-a-season with Benevento in Serie A in 2018 and claims the tactician reminded him of current City boss Pep Guardiola.

In an exclusive chat with Lord Ping, the ex-France international said: “He is a fantastic coach. Honestly, he is really something.

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“I played under him in Italy. You will see the way that he gets this Brighton team playing, trust me.

Former Arsenal and Manchester City full-back Bacary Sagna has heaped praise on new Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi. Picture by GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty ImagesFormer Arsenal and Manchester City full-back Bacary Sagna has heaped praise on new Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi. Picture by GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images
Former Arsenal and Manchester City full-back Bacary Sagna has heaped praise on new Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi. Picture by GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images

“I called him ‘Mini Pep’. The players laughed at me for calling him this, but I’ve trained with Pep, who I consider the best manager in the world at the moment, and there are definite similarities.

“They both love to teach and improve players. They love to be on the training pitch with their players. They have similar philosophies on football.”

Sagna also discussed the way De Zerbi sets up his team tactically. He added: “He will ask his teams to play out from the back, no matter the opponent or the pressure.

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“The way he managed Benevento, in the second half of that season, was crazy. We went to the San Siro and beat AC Milan, we played Inter there and had 65 per cent of the ball with a team of kids, but we managed to play.

“He went to Sassuolo and did an amazing job there. That team played some of the best football in Italy, always competitive against the biggest teams.

“He has a lot of quality and hopefully he will be able to show that in England and shine because he deserves it. On a human level, he is top too.”