Latest news with #DiegoCoppola
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
'The owner keeps me busy, in a good way'
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler says the owner is keeping him "busy" during the off-season as they continue their work in the transfer Seagulls have already been active in the summer window, having signed three teenagers and 21-year-old defender Diego and the ownership will be looking to build on the German's first season in charge as they look to secure European football again having narrowly missed out in 2024-25 when they finished eighth in the Premier interest in a number of their key players, the club's work will not only focus on who they can bring in but who they can keep hold of and who may head out the door."The owner keeps me busy, in a good way," Hurzeler told BBC Radio Sussex during a charity walk for the club's foundation."I'm really happy to work. It is a lot of work to do - the preparation for the season and pre-season is very important."You need the right people, the right squad, so you need to do a lot of research, a lot of calls."I'm really happy we are working in detail, working to get the right people. The players we have signed already have great characters and great potential, and I'm very, very happy they have signed with us. I'm really looking forward to working with them."Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds
New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Diego Coppola, Brighton's new centre-back from Serie A: Here's what to expect
Before Brighton & Hove Albion's final home game of last season against new champions Liverpool, Fabian Hurzeler spoke about what he felt they needed to be shopping for in his second summer transfer window as head coach. 'The games just get more physical, more athletic, and that is where we have to take care also in our squad,' Hurzeler told reporters. 'No matter if it is someone in the last line — who might be full-back, centre-back — who has this physicality, or a No 6 (midfielder) who has this physicality. Advertisement 'It is not we have a lack in this or that position. It is more about: where do we get an add-on to our squad? Where do we see a potential player who can help us with physicality?' The recruitment department hope they have found that player with the signing of Diego Coppola from Verona of Italy's Serie A for €11million (£9.4m/$12.7m), on a five-year contract. The 21-year-old centre-half, 6ft 4in (193cm) tall, appears to epitomise Hurzeler's wish. Salvatore Bocchetti, who coached Coppola at Verona in their academy and as assistant manager of the first team, tells The Athletic: 'He is physically strong and reads the game very well, but he is also surprisingly quick for his size, a combination that makes him very effective defensively.' The chart below, which compares a player's performance in key metrics with their positional peers across the top five domestic leagues in Europe, gives a good idea of Coppola's strengths. He is a towering presence in the air (aerial volume and aerial success), but also effective on the floor when making challenges against dribblers (one-v-one defending). The low front-foot and back-foot defending metrics feel counterintuitive, but because Verona had so little of the ball last season while finishing 14th in 20-team Serie A (a league-worst 38.7 per cent), he was tasked with that responsibility more than most. Adjust for opportunity, and that effect dissipates slightly. Using data from Opta via Coppola made the most interceptions in Europe's top five leagues last season (72), ahead of Sevilla's Jose Angel Carmona, Patrick Mainka of Heidenheim (both 68) and West Ham United's Aaron Wan-Bissaka (66), which highlights his powers of anticipation. In possession, low returns for ball retention, pass progression and link-up play on The Athletic wheel chart above, with a high ranking for launched passes, reflect he was playing for a team who were more often than not under the cosh, losing 21 of their 38 league games and finishing with a minus-32 goal difference. They are all aspects of his game which are likely to improve at Brighton. Advertisement 'He is a strong player,' says Bocchetti, a former Italy international centre-back during a playing career which included spells with Milan (on loan from Russian side Spartak Moscow), Genoa and Verona. 'He is arriving in the best league in the world and joining a great club. I am sure, with his professional attitude and open mindset, that it will be easy for him to improve further. This is definitely a big step forward in his career.' Coppola built his reputation as a committed defender as he rose through the ranks of Verona's academy. He made his first-team debut in December 2021, shortly before his 18th birthday, and went on to make 85 appearances for the northern Italian club, scoring four goals. He was a regular last season, playing 34 times in the league as Verona successfully fought against relegation. He had two years remaining on his contract when Brighton, after negotiations about the structure of the package, concluded a deal last week. Coppola's signing coincides with a significant step up in his international career. He made his senior debut for Italy in the 3-0 World Cup qualifying defeat away to Norway earlier this month. That tough baptism up against Erling Haaland and company, playing next to Inter's Alessandro Bastoni on the left of a back three, was followed three days later by a late substitute appearance as Luciano Spalletti's reign as head coach ended with a 2-0 home win against Moldova. Coppola switched quickly from the seniors to representing the under-21s in the age group's ongoing European Championship finals in Slovakia. He played a full part in Italy's last two group matches, a 1-0 win against the host nation and a 1-1 draw with Spain. Carmine Nunziata's youngsters qualified for the knockout phase as runners-up behind the Spanish and faced Germany in the quarter-finals on Sunday. Advertisement A hectic campaign came to a frustrating and exhausting conclusion for Coppola as Italy, reduced to nine men due to red cards for Leeds United winger Wilfried Gnonto and Mattia Zanotti towards the end of normal time, lost 3-2 after extra time. Coppola was a commanding figure in the middle of Italy's back three in a goalless first half against opponents featuring his now Brighton team-mate Brajan Gruda on the right of Germany's attack. He demonstrated his defensive discipline twice to repel threatening situations by blocking shots inside his own penalty area. Booked 11 times for Verona last season, he was fortunate not to receive an early caution when he kicked the ball further away into touch twice in the same action — he would surely have been shown a yellow card in the Premier League. Coppola was disappointed with Nick Woltemade's equalising header in the 68th minute for Germany. He was beaten in the air from a corner by the 6ft 6ins Stuttgart centre-forward, the top scorer in the tournament with five goals. But he recovered from that setback and, with socks rolled down in extra-time, stood out in Italy's rearguard action with resilient defending and reserves of energy. He slumped to the ground inside the box when Nathaniel Brown struck in the 117th minute to give Germany victory. On the plus side, Coppola gets a few extra days to rest and recover before joining his Brighton team-mates in July for pre-season. Coppola is used to playing in different defensive setups. He played on the right of a back four and in the centre of a three for the under-21s in those group games. At Verona, he featured both as the central pivot in a three-man defence and in a four. That type of adaptability will surely be useful for Hurzeler. The move to the Premier League also provides Coppola with an opportunity to press his claims for further senior international recognition under Italy's new head coach Gennaro Gattuso as they try to qualify for next year's World Cup, having missed out in both 2018 and 2022. Hurzeler, returning to the theme of physicality in Coppola's signing announcement, said: 'He is still young, he is tall, strong and mobile, and he will give us a real physical presence.' Brighton saw off competition from among the big beasts of Italian football to sign Coppola. His move to the Premier League is not a surprise to Bocchetti. 'Some big Serie A clubs were also interested, but I think this is the best choice for him, and for Brighton too,' Bocchetti says. 'I'm very close to him, because I've seen him grow. I have nothing but good things to say about him. Advertisement 'Brighton have picked the right player, both on and off the pitch. He's humble, very professional and, despite being young, he already has a strong personality thanks to his experience in Serie A. I am confident he is already studying to improve his English. He is a very committed and focused person.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Brighton's transfer push backed by ‘physicality' and cutting-edge data
It may not have been Tony Bloom's week at Ascot for once but at least the Brighton owner could console himself by securing yet another signing for his football team before the summer solstice was here. Confirmation of the Italy Under-21s defender Diego Coppola's arrival on the south coast as Lake Forest finished a disappointing fifth in the Queen Anne Stakes took Brighton's buys to three and the club are expected to announce any day that Olivier Boscagli is joining on a free from PSV Eindhoven. In with Coppola, who has joined from Verona, have come Sunderland's 19-year-old playoff hero, Tommy Watson, for £10m and the Greece Under-21s striker Charalampos Kostoulas for £30m. Talk about getting your business done early. Advertisement Related: Chelsea make Gittens top target and keep Kudus and João Pedro in sights A record-breaking outlay of almost £200m last summer made Brighton the biggest net spenders in Europe but Bloom has hinted that the spree is nearing an end at the club whose renowned scouting department is always ahead of the game. 'We have already got slightly involved in the transfer window and I don't think we will be doing a huge amount more between now and the end of the window,' he said after Poniros – the 100-1 shot which won at Cheltenham wearing Bloom's blue and white colours this year – ended up 17th in the Ascot Stakes on Tuesday. As well as being linked to complying with profitability and sustainability rules, that probably has something to do with Fabian Hürzeler's comments last month. The head coach said he had informed Bloom his squad needed more 'physicality' but also said: 'Overall I am not a big fan of too much change,' after admitting only two of last summer's six big signings, Georginio Rutter and Yankuba Minteh, had adapted. 'All the others, they suffer,' Hürzeler said. 'They came here with injury, problems with the intensity, maybe problems with the culture. They all also will take the next step [next season].' It is all part of the process at Brighton, whose recruitment department, led by the technical director, the former Scotland defender David Weir, benefits from cutting-edge data provided by closely guarded algorithms developed by Bloom and his various companies. The ruthless decision to dispense with three full-time scouts last year and rely even more on data was recognition of the direction of travel, even if it raised fears in the wider scouting community. Given the club's success in recouping more than £320m in player sales over the past three seasons, the model is clearly here to stay. Advertisement 'It's important to know exactly what you're looking for and what you're working towards,' says one Brighton source who does not want to be named. 'We went a little bit younger and higher on the potential side and, together with the fantastic managers that we've had, that's been assimilated into being a success in the Premier League probably sooner than anybody would have realised. So that's probably been the combination of things that's enabled what is no doubt a market-leading set of data to be as productive as it has been.' The towering 18-year-old Kostoulas – a product of the Olympiakos academy and part of the side that won the Uefa Youth League last year despite being a year younger than most of his teammates – is the latest example of that process. His compatriot Stefanos Tzimas was loaned by Brighton to Nuremberg in February after a £20.8m move, having been on the club's radar for some time, but the emergence of Kostoulas meant Brighton had to act quickly. 'It's that decisiveness that comes with knowing exactly when you want to be able to go for it as strongly as we do,' the source says. 'I'm sure a lot of clubs would have known about him, but probably weren't ready to go as strongly as we did in order to get it done at this stage.' The groundwork for most of Brighton's transfers is done months in advance and there is the same philosophy when it comes to players leaving. João Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma have two years on their contracts and will be allowed to depart if their valuations are met, and there is interest from Napoli in Matt O'Riley 12 months after he joined from Celtic. Newcastle and Chelsea have been strongly linked with João Pedro, who is expected to cost about £60m; Bayern Munich have yet to follow up their interest in Mitoma. 'It's not wanting to sell or needing to sell, but knowing that's how it goes if the offers come along,' says the source. If they do, Bloom is guaranteed to drive a hard bargain. He acknowledged that missing out on Europe despite finishing eighth with 61 points – one fewer than when they came sixth in 2023 – was a disappointment for some supporters but reflected that it was 'a testament to how well we have done recently'. 'With our younger players a little bit older, Fabian a year in the Premier League,' Bloom said, 'we are hoping for more next season.'
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Brighton's transfer push backed by ‘physicality' and cutting-edge data
It may not have been Tony Bloom's week at Ascot for once but at least the Brighton owner could console himself by securing yet another signing for his football team before the summer solstice was here. Confirmation of the Italy Under-21s defender Diego Coppola's arrival on the south coast as Lake Forest finished a disappointing fifth in the Queen Anne Stakes took Brighton's buys to three and the club are expected to announce any day that Olivier Boscagli is joining on a free from PSV Eindhoven. In with Coppola, who has joined from Verona, have come Sunderland's 19-year-old playoff hero, Tommy Watson, for £10m and the Greece Under-21s striker Charalampos Kostoulas for £30m. Talk about getting your business done early. A record-breaking outlay of almost £200m last summer made Brighton the biggest net spenders in Europe but Bloom has hinted that the spree is nearing an end at the club whose renowned scouting department is always ahead of the game. 'We have already got slightly involved in the transfer window and I don't think we will be doing a huge amount more between now and the end of the window,' he said after Poniros – the 100-1 shot which won at Cheltenham wearing Bloom's blue and white colours this year – ended up 17th in the Ascot Stakes on Tuesday. As well as being linked to complying with profitability and sustainability rules, that probably has something to do with Fabian Hürzeler's comments last month. The head coach said he had informed Bloom his squad needed more 'physicality' but also said: 'Overall I am not a big fan of too much change,' after admitting only two of last summer's six big signings, Georginio Rutter and Yankuba Minteh, had adapted. 'All the others, they suffer,' Hürzeler said. 'They came here with injury, problems with the intensity, maybe problems with the culture. They all also will take the next step [next season].' It is all part of the process at Brighton, whose recruitment department, led by the technical director, the former Scotland defender David Weir, benefits from cutting-edge data provided by closely guarded algorithms developed by Bloom and his various companies. The ruthless decision to dispense with three full-time scouts last year and rely even more on data was recognition of the direction of travel, even if it raised fears in the wider scouting community. Given the club's success in recouping more than £320m in player sales over the past three seasons, the model is clearly here to stay. 'It's important to know exactly what you're looking for and what you're working towards,' says one Brighton source who does not want to be named. 'We went a little bit younger and higher on the potential side and, together with the fantastic managers that we've had, that's been assimilated into being a success in the Premier League probably sooner than anybody would have realised. So that's probably been the combination of things that's enabled what is no doubt a market-leading set of data to be as productive as it has been.' The towering 18-year-old Kostoulas – a product of the Olympiakos academy and part of the side that won the Uefa Youth League last year despite being a year younger than most of his teammates – is the latest example of that process. His compatriot Stefanos Tzimas was loaned by Brighton to Nuremberg in February after a £20.8m move, having been on the club's radar for some time, but the emergence of Kostoulas meant Brighton had to act quickly. 'It's that decisiveness that comes with knowing exactly when you want to be able to go for it as strongly as we do,' the source says. 'I'm sure a lot of clubs would have known about him, but probably weren't ready to go as strongly as we did in order to get it done at this stage.' Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion The groundwork for most of Brighton's transfers is done months in advance and there is the same philosophy when it comes to players leaving. João Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma have two years on their contracts and will be allowed to depart if their valuations are met, and there is interest from Napoli in Matt O'Riley 12 months after he joined from Celtic. Newcastle and Chelsea have been strongly linked with João Pedro, who is expected to cost about £60m; Bayern Munich have yet to follow up their interest in Mitoma. 'It's not wanting to sell or needing to sell, but knowing that's how it goes if the offers come along,' says the source. If they do, Bloom is guaranteed to drive a hard bargain. He acknowledged that missing out on Europe despite finishing eighth with 61 points – one fewer than when they came sixth in 2023 – was a disappointment for some supporters but reflected that it was 'a testament to how well we have done recently'. 'With our younger players a little bit older, Fabian a year in the Premier League,' Bloom said, 'we are hoping for more next season.'
BBC News
19-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'A balanced squad with not a huge amount more to be done'
Brighton & Hove Albion have made a fast start to the summer transfer window but the majority of incoming business appears to be done. The capture of young Greek star Charalampos Kostoulas has certainly grabbed the headlines and the Seagulls appear to have fought off strong competition for his arrival of Diego Coppola, currently performing at the European Under-21 Championship, from Hellas Verona also indicates a remoulding of the defence with the statistics for the 21-year-old's season in Serie A presenting a strong, physical profile. Both will have to transition to a new country and a new league but Brighton has a track record of helping young potential settle into a new environment. Kostoulas will be helped by the arrival of fellow Greek forward Stefanos Tzimas who signed for the club in January but remained on loan at Nuremberg. Coppola meanwhile will be joined by free agent Olivier Boscagli who is expected to join on 1 July after his contract at PSV owner and chairman Tony Bloom this week told ITV Racing he did not think there would be "a huge amount more" business done by Brighton but that the club always stays alert to any opportunities that may arise in the short-term. Now the focus will inevitably switch to departures. Joao Pedro appears to have several suitors, Kaoru Mitoma will be in demand and Carlos Baleba is bound to have his admirers but the management have always only allowed key players to move at the right the arrival of two defenders there may not be room for the likes of Igor Tudor in the squad next season while extended contracts for James Milner and Tariq Lamptey provide continuity with both hoping to put their injury concerns behind the squad looks balanced in terms of age and experience. With one Premier League season under his belt, Fabian Hurzeler should be more adept at getting the best out of his team. The 32-year-old has stressed his desire for physicality and intensity in his squad and both appear to be reflected in the deals done so far.
