De Rossi said: "I didn't want Brighton in the draw.
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"It will be some difficult games to prepare for. They have done damage against many of the best teams in England.
"I respect Robert De Zerbi. He was an open book to me. He helped me tremendously and made his data available to me.
"I think he is a genius. I really like him. He has brought something new and that makes him a brilliant coach.
"You cannot copy a genius, but many try to imitate him."