Fabian Hurzeler has Brighton & Hove Albion second in the Premier League with a starting XI that cost only £150 million against Brentford.
He’s inevitably being linked with wealthier clubs, even the theatre of chaos that is Manchester United, but Hurzeler is far too smart to jump ship yet. He’s only 33, building something special at Brighton, enhancing his reputation with every game, and knowing that other managers – like Graham Potter - have moved on and not always found the grass greener. Sussex by the Sea makes the perfect home for Hurzeler for now.
So he focuses on winning the Europa Conference League and qualifying for the Champions League. This will make Hurzeler in even more demand – and also aware that many of his ambitions can be met at Brighton. It’s certainly understandable why he will be on the lists of other clubs.
I’ve only had 10 minutes in his company once, a coffee and a chat on the balcony of the training ground restaurant (the food’s too good to call it a canteen) but it made a distinct impression. Hurzeler’s most striking quality, apart from looking even younger than 33, is his humility and willingness to listen while exuding total belief in his own convictions. He has a curiosity in people which adds to his man-management strengths.
Hurzeler’s slightness of frame belies a substantial aura. You quickly appreciate you are in the presence of somebody with powerful emotional intelligence as well as tactical nous easily expressed. Again, it is easy to see why players respond to him. The German had no playing background of note, basically Bayern Munich II and some Germany age-group games, but the players love his enthusiasm, clear thinking and decisiveness. His game plans are built around positivity, and players relish that. And there’s no way Manchester United players, some of them masters of the half-hearted press, could cope with his pressing demands.
It’s remarkable what his team are doing this season, doing great things without even Kaoru Mitoma, who hopes to return from a long-term hamstring issue after the international break. They’ve already played some of the toughest-looking fixtures: Chelsea and Liverpool away (their only losses of the season), Manchester City away (1-0 win) and Arsenal at home (3-0 win). The fixture computer must have sensed something when churning out Arsenal vs Brighton on the last weekend of the season. Brighton for the title might be a thought too far, given respective squad depths, but a Champions League place is certainly up for grabs.
Hurzeler is the right man in the right place at the right time. Everything at Brighton is set up for the head coach to succeed. The leadership of the club under Tony Bloom and Paul Barber is the best in the Premier League. If he went to any other club, Hurzeler would face a rebuild, residual issues, squad problems, tensions between assorted parts of the club, even a mutiny at United.
Bloom and Barber are steadfast in support. When Hurzeler came under pressure from a few fans during a run of only one win in 13 Premier League games last season, including a painful home loss to Crystal Palace, the board stood fully behind him.
Kudos goes to Bloom and his Jamestown Analytics talent-finders for their consistently high level of recruitment hits. “Nobody Does Data Better”, their website says. Bart Verbruggen has 12 clean sheets in 15 games this season. No wonder they let Carl Rushworth go to Coventry City. Verbruggen, who’s only 24, cost £16m from Anderlecht in 2023.
Pascal Gross is running games at 35. He cost only £1.5m when returning to Brighton in January. Luka Vuskovic is only 19 and fast maturing into one of the best, all-round centre-backs in the league. The Croatian cost what appeared a chunky £46m from Spurs this summer, but now looks great value.
On it goes, the successful Bloomers. Look at midfield. The Paraguayan Diego Gomez is scoring worldies, only 23, and only £11m from Inter Miami in January 2025. Yasin Ayari, the Swede who embodies Brighton’s press, cost only £3.5m from AIK in January 2023. The 21-year-old Spaniard Chema Andres cost only £15.5m from Stuttgart this September. He’s settled in quickly.
Ease of assimilation is helped by Brighton’s family feel, the thought that goes into the player’s arrival, looking after his family too, and the welcoming nature of homegrown players like Lewis Dunk and Jack Hinshelwood. The friendly Barber plays a vital role, too, in ensuring new signings settle.
Hove is a good area to live, the training facilities are impressive, and the ground is full of atmosphere. Newcomers also know that Brighton is a perfect launchpad for their ambitions, so they seize the opportunity. Everything is set up for players – and head coach – to succeed, and Hurzeler knows that.
