Giacomo Raspadori described Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi as a ‘very brave man’, as he praised his former coach for trusting him and playing a pivotal role in his development.
The duo first met during the 2018-19 season at Sassuolo, when De Zerbi was appointed as Neroverdi boss and decided to give a then 19-year-old Raspadori his Serie A debut in the last league fixture against Atalanta.
Coming through Sassuolo youth academy, the striker went on to become a regular starter under De Zerbi in the following seasons, as he was also given the chance to wear the captain armband despite his young age.
“I don’t know if things have happened too quickly, I shouldn’t be the one to say it”, Raspadori told in an interview with Corriere dello Sport.
“I’ve put my passion, others have run the risk.
“The day I wore the captain armband for the first time, before the game against Roma, it was an incredible feeling and, if I think about it, Roberto De Zerbi must be really brave”, he added.
“That’s true, Berardi, Magnanelli and Ferrari were all ruled out of that match and I had joined Sassuolo as a child so I was the veteran of that group”.
“At the same time, I was still an inexperienced youngster”.
The Napoli striker blossomed in his third season under De Zerbi, when he scored six goals from 27 Serie A appearances, and further improved his tally in 2021-22, when he netted 10 in 36 games with new coach Alessio Dionisi at the helm, paving the way for a lucrative move to Napoli at the end of the season.
Asked to pick his best goal so far, Raspadori seemed undecided: “Maybe the header at Ajax, which was almost against my nature. Or perhaps the one I scored with Italy against England”.