Fabian Hürzeler has been unveiled by the upper management of Brighton and Hove Albion as the team’s new manager for the 2024/25 season and beyond.
Hürzeler, whose professional playing career only ended as recently as 2022, was the manager of German Bundesliga club FC St. Pauli for the last two seasons. He returned them to the top flight of the German football league system and was snapped up by Brighton after they parted ways with De Zerbi following a slightly disappointing 2023/24 season.
The German, who also holds American and Swiss nationalities, is the youngest top-flight manager in world football at 31, which makes his appointment by a Premier League club very exciting.
“I’m aware this is a huge job. It’s a big challenge and I think I need a lot of courage and ability so I need to stay humble,” Hürzeler said on Tuesday at his presentation as the Seagulls’ new manager.
“My targets, I want to discuss them with my players, they need to be convinced of that, they need to feel what we can achieve, that’s the main thing for me. I want to achieve big things and I want to challenge the establishment.”
“The Premier League is the best league in the world with a lot of good coaches. You need your own philosophy and identity but it’s important to take other elements and adapt.”
The former Bayern Munich academy player then spoke glowingly of De Zerbi’s time at the club and how he intends to bring his own style in order to surpass the Italian.
“Roberto De Zerbi had a huge impact on the football world with a different style of football. Of course I will take some elements (from him) but I have my own philosophy and you can’t copy anyone,” Hürzeler added.
“I like the football he played, it had a lot of courage with some interesting elements which I will also try and adapt to my philosophy.”
Brighton identified their new manager through intense data analysis, the kind that has helped them lock in to some of the world’s most exciting talents in recent years. Club chairman Tony Bloom was excited about the move and assured the fans that Hürzeler’s appointment was not a gamble despite his limited experience as a head coach.
“The whole city should be very excited,” Bloom said at the presentation. “I wouldn’t talk about it as a gamble at all. We look at everything, we put a lot of effort into the appointment of any head coach like other clubs do and we think Fabian is the best fit for the football club. He’s the least risk option we had.”
The Seagulls begin their pre-season on July 24 with a trip to Japan to face Kashima Antlers. Their Premier League campaign opens with an away trip to Goodison Park to face Everton.
