PASTA MASTER
De Zerbi cooks up Italian treats for his men
BRIGHTON v EVERTON Amex Stadium: KO 3pm
ROBERTO DE ZERBI has found a new way to get the best out of his players – by hosting relaxed dinner parties for them at his home.
Each week the Albion boss chooses players and staff to try out his Italian cooking, and this week it was Ansu
Fati and Pervis Estupinan’s turn to visit the De Zerbi kitchen.
Needless to say, it was a pasta dish (above) on the menu.
The Italian said: “I started doing this when I worked at Sassuolo, because if you know better the people who work with you then you can find better relationships. And it can help players on the pitch, too.
“These players are like my children, they are young guys. In football we are used to demands every day, but sometimes it’s right to understand if they need something more or something different. I believe in relationships even more than tactics.”
Fati, on loan from Barcelona, posted pictures of the gettogether on Instagram, with De Zerbi admitting his guests also sat down to watch Napoli against Barcelona in the Champions League on television.
It doesn’t mean the Seagulls boss is a soft touch, however.
Estupinan may have enjoyed his home-cooked pasta but that hasn’t stopped De Zerbi telling the exciting Peruvian, fully recovered from a long-term injury, that he wants more from him.
De Zerbi said: “Last season he played very well but this season he can play better. My demand to him is to play better. My expectations of him are bigger than his performances.”
De Zerbi has also called for a much better team performance against Everton than his side, currently seventh in the table, delivered last year when they were thumped 5-1 at home by the Toffees.
He said: “In that game last season we lost balance.
“We had a great energy to win because we were fighting for the Europa League. But we were attacking with eight players and you can’t do that.
“We have to play with the right energy, with the right spirit, but we can’t lose our balance.”
Albion will be without Japan winger Kaoru Mitoma because of a back injury, and are missing striker Joao Pedro for another month. But long-term absentee
Julio Enciso is back on the bench.