Former Arsenal and Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna believes that Roberto De Zerbi has it in him to become one of the best managers in the world.
The former French international defender worked with Guardiola at City, then moved on to Benevento, where he worked with De Zerbi.
The Italian was linked with the Bayern Munich job before Vincent Kompany moved to take over from Burnley, and he left Brighton at the end of the season after an impressive spell.
He continues to be linked with jobs, including any potential opening at Manchester United should Erik ten Hag depart.
Speaking to Coin Poker , he described his experiences of working with the pair.
He said: “One of the first things I said to the media when he joined Brighton was that Roberto De Zerbi was a really special coach. I worked with him at Benevento after I left Manchester City, and I called him a mini Pep Guardiola.
“A lot of people laughed at me when those comments were published, but I think most people would agree with that assessment now. He's not only a special coach, but a special person.
“I believe he can be one of the best coaches in the world one day. I think he's already a top coach, and after I was able to work with him every day, I could see his quality and how good he was.”
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