Palermo winger Federico Di Francesco has recalled working with Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi.

Di Francesco played for De Zerbi at Sassuolo.

He told Mediagol.it: "You could immediately see that De Zerbi was special and had a totally different way of coaching than others. In my pre-Sassuolo experiences I had played in teams that mainly defended and counterattacked.

"He put me in difficulty because he was very demanding and initially I struggled to understand his ideas.

"He left me a lot and was close to me in difficulties. A direct person who I appreciated a lot and he deserves everything he is experiencing now with Brighton. You could sense that he had something unique."