Roberto De Zerbi Tactic Football Manager 2024

This tactic helped us win the quadruple in my save, with Bayer Leverkusen.

More than this, we dominated the possession in the league and scored the most goals by far – 93.

Roberto De Zerbi is an Italian professional football coach and former player, who is currently the manager of Ligue 1 club Olympique Marseille.

Roberto De Zerbi started his professional career at AC Milan. He spent four seasons on loan to lower divisions clubs (Serie B to Serie C2), before moving to Napoli from Catania for €2.5 million in 2006.

On 8 February 2010, Napoli announced his loan transfer to Romanian Liga I club CFR Cluj, with the deal being made permanent on 31 August 2010.

He had spells as manager with Dafro Boario and Foggia before moving to Palermo. However, with seven consecutive defeats and no points at home in three months, this reign turned out to be negative.

He then moved to Benevento and Sassuolo, before joining Shakhtar Donetsk. These 3 clubs are important to be mentioned for different reasons.

While managing Benevento, Roberto De Zerbi asked the then goalkeeper coach Francesco Farioli to join him at the club. Yes, that Francesco Farioli, the now manager of Ajax.

At Sassuolo, his tactical approach and results put him under the spotlight, being regarded as one of the managers for the future.

In truth, he lifted the small Emilia club to heights it never was before.

And while managing Shakhtar Donetsk, again with good results, he was spotted by the Premier League club Brighton and Hove Albion.

And as we all know, Roberto De Zerbi would end up managing the Premier League club. In fact, not only managing them, but revolutionizing the way the club played and bringing them results they never had before – the same as with Sassuolo.

His tactical approach became clearer once it was in the Premier League spotlight. His approach of baiting the opposition pressure only to beat it, by trying to find and utilize the free man was devastating at times.

The concept of the free man represents, loosely, passing the ball around fast and in a pattern that would end up isolating one teammate who is unmarked and can attack the free space in front of him.

This approach led to many goals scored by Brighton and to players like Leandro Trossard or Kaoru Mitoma shining under Roberto De Zerbi’s guidance.

After qualifying the club to their first ever European competition and leading them through it, Roberto De Zerbi left the club and joined the French club Olympique Marseille after being linked with managerial roles at FC Barcelona, Liverpool or Bayern München.

Roberto De Zerbi has developed a reputation for playing an attack–minded possession-based style of football, focusing heavily on shorter build-up from the goalkeeper rather than quick counterattacks.

He also favours a deep double pivot approach in a 4–2–3–1 system whilst using an aggressive high press off the ball. This aims to draw the opposition higher up the pitch centrally, which his teams can exploit by playing the ball wide, with the full backs staying close to the touchline on both sides.

The goalkeeper is a sweeper one, of course, on attack. In this tactic, compared to others covered on the channel, the goalkeeper does have to become a passing option, being part of the possession game.

For this reason, you do need a goalkeeper who is comfortable on the ball and comfortable to sweep up loose balls.

The back four is made of two wing backs on support and two ball playing defenders on defend duty.

As mentioned earlier, the wing backs are to become wide passing options as the ball is progressed in attack.

The ball playing defenders main objective remains defending, of course, but when their team is in possession, they need to go up the pitch and be ready to recycle the ball when needed.

In the midfield, we have two defensive midfielders – one on defend and one on support. Here, many role combinations can be made, the aim must remain the same – creating a pivot while in possession.

One possible combination is a defensive midfielder – deep lying playmaker or regista one – it all depends on the squad available to you.

The defensive midfielder on support duty is told to get further forward. This is needed as we need him to aid the passing game further up the pitch as well, while his teammate will remain as cover against counterattacks.

The wingers are one inside forward on support and another on attack duty. Inverted wingers could work as well, but I would use this role only on the right side. When thinking about a Roberto De Zerbi tactic, I always use Kaoru Mitoma as a reference for the left-sided role – and he is an inside forward to me.

The role of the wingers is to widen the pitch and become a passing option, before cutting inside, leaving space for the wing backs to run into.

Often, the inside forwards become the free man we were talking about earlier. As their teammates create a rondo in the midfield area, passing the ball to them, who by cutting inside, can create a dangerous goalscoring opportunity.

The advanced midfielder is this, an advanced midfielder on attack duty. And he complements the deep lying forward.

All four attacking players are told to mark tighter, to stay close to their immediate opponent and delay the opposition’s build up play.

As mentality, I chose attacking. I used positive as well, but with an attacking mentality, the team looks to be more incisive in attack.

In possession, fairly narrow attacking width and play out of defence. Shorter passing directness and a slightly higher tempo. And low crosses.

This setup helps the team stay close and create that rondo-like, double pivot pattern of play.

In transition, counter-press, counter and distribute the ball to the defence through short kicks.

And out of possession, a high press and a higher defensive line. Trigger press more often and prevent the goalkeeper short distribution.

This setup, combined with the mark tighter instruction for the attacking players, helps the team apply pressure on the ball high up the pitch, trying to recover the ball as fast as possible.

As mentioned, this tactic helped us dominate domestically in Germany. We also had high scoring games, the same way Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton team had.

This tactic does create an expansive and fun style of play when interpreted correctly. Of course, you do need to have the right players for it.

I am not sure what led to Roberto De Zerbi moving clubs, but it’s clear to me that he is a very talented football manager. And I think we will see him manage on the biggest stage in football in the future.