Roma coach Daniele de Rossi is ready to face Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi tomorrow.

Roma host the first-leg of their Europa League round 16 tie on Thursday night.

De Rossi said: "I have had an excellent relationship with De Zerbi since I was a footballer after the matches and he was taking his first steps as a coach. After the match we spoke and I expressed my admiration towards him for the game he proposed in Benevento, in Palermo and we talked about the his present and what my future would be.

"He has brilliant ideas and is a different coach. They also have excellent players and have acquired many good ones. I expect a complicated and difficult match.

"I think that for any footballer it is very nice to play here, but I think that they too are used to playing in full stadiums in the Premier League, but I think that here the heat will be a little higher.

"It's not easy to make a comparison. They are certainly an emerging club, they don't have a decade-long history. I believe that Roberto is giving something recognizable in the world, a brand that he carries with him. Bologna is fourth from us and Roberto has brought something similar to Sassuolo. I think it's similar, but it can only be repeated if you have a coach with great ideas or a club that can buy young players."