Fabian Hurzeler has turned Brighton’s season around, and the German is now one of the most talked-about young managers in Europe. Eight months after fans booed him, his side sit third in the Premier League.
The low point came in February. Brighton lost 1-0 at home to Crystal Palace and slipped to 14th, with one win in 12 league games. Supporters chanted that he would be sacked in the morning. Hurzeler said he had two choices: give up or push harder. He picked the second.
It has worked. Brighton have won 11 of their last 18 top-flight games and are back in European contention. Recent wins over Arsenal and Aston Villa stood out. Palace visit the Amex Stadium on Sunday at 14:00 BST.
Fans have changed their tune
Hurzeler became the youngest permanent manager in Premier League history when Brighton hired him in June 2024 at 31. He later signed a new long-term deal and was given £150m to spend in the summer.
Scott McCarthy, from the We Are Brighton fan site, said Hurzeler looked “out of ideas” after the Palace defeat. “It’s totally different now,” he told BBC Sport. Former Brighton striker Glenn Murray called the way Hurzeler has the players performing “exceptional”.
Some fans now worry a bigger club will take him. Manchester United have been reported as interested.
From Pipinsried to the Premier League
Hurzeler’s route has been unusual. Born in Houston, Texas, he moved to Germany at two. Injuries ended his playing career after spells in the reserves at Bayern Munich, Hoffenheim and 1860 Munich. In 2016, aged 23, he became player-manager of fifth-tier Pipinsried, a village club about 30 miles from Munich.
To pay the bills, he worked for an art dealer who sold paintings to wealthy Bavarians. He told the Guardian in 2024 that he was fired because he spent too much time watching football. He still saw a link between the two jobs. In both, he said, you must understand what the other person needs and wants.
He later took St Pauli back to the Bundesliga after 13 years away, then left for Brighton. While at St Pauli, he visited Tottenham’s training ground to watch Ange Postecoglou’s team work. He asked so many questions that Postecoglou had to ask a member of his staff to take over.
Source: BBC Sport
