Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi insists he's "really sorry" for Graham Potter after being linked with the vacant position at Chelsea.
The Blues are in need of a new manager after Potter was relieved of his duties on Sunday, with Bruno Saltor taking interim charge. Chelsea suffered a 2-0 home loss to Aston Villa the day before Potter's exit, a result that leaves them 11th in the Premier League.
Ironically, De Zerbi replaced Potter when he was appointed by Brighton in September - as his predecessor left the Amex to take the Chelsea job. The highly-rated Seagulls manager is now being tipped to succeed Potter for the second time in the same season.
De Zerbi was asked about Potter and Brendan Rodgers, who was sacked by Leicester, during a press conference on Monday afternoon. The Brighton manager told reporters: "I am very sorry. It is bad news for the coaches.
"I think you give too much importance to the coaches because the players are always the most important and I don't like when coaches are sacked because the responsibility is not only with them. The players, the club, it's not very good news.
"I want to say thanks to Graham Potter. I have a team with a very good attitude and mentality. It is difficult when you don't know the situation or another dressing room. I don't like speaking about other teams and coaches. I am sorry because when there are these situations they are sad."
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Potter was persuaded to replace Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea in September after a stunning rise. The former Premier League defender started his coaching career at university level before being appointed by Swedish minnows Ostersund in January 2011.
Potter dragged Ostersund from the fourth tier of Swedish football into Europe, as they achieved a famous win against Arsenal in June 2018. He joined Swansea that summer before moving to Brighton 12 months later, where his reputation was enhanced further.
Potter established Brighton as a top-10 Premier League side and laid the foundations for De Zerbi to be successful this season. The Italian coach is doing a tremendous job at the Amex, with the Seagulls in contention for a European spot.
Brighton are sixth in the Premier League, seven points behind Manchester United in fourth with a game in hand. De Zerbi is now being tipped for a move to a so-called 'Big Six' club thanks to his success at Brighton, with Tottenham said to be interested.
De Zerbi is only 43 but already has a decade of managerial experience under his belt. He has previously managed the likes of Palermo, Benevento, Sassulolo and Shakhtar Donetsk - earning plaudits for his eye-catching and attacking brand of football.
Yet leaving Brighton for Chelsea at this stage of the season would make little sense. "If we want to reach our target (Europe) we have to improve in some details," added De Zerbi on Monday afternoon.
De Zerbi is friends with Pep Guardiola. The Manchester City boss said in October, "I’m really happy he is here [in England]; I saw the last two games and he is already playing the way he wants to play. His impact will be massive in the future."
