Fabian Hürzeler has been appointed as Brighton manager on a three-year contract.
Hürzeler replaces Roberto De Zerbi who opted to leave the Seagulls in May after 20 months in charge, having guided Brighton to European qualification for the first time in their history in his first season before injuries prevented a repeat performance last season.
Brighton subsequently undertook an extensive recruitment search before settling on Hürzeler, who had led St Pauli to Bundesliga in Germany last season as champions of Bundesliga 2.
Both clubs subsequently agreed a compensation fee for Hürzeler who has signed a three-year contract until June 2027 and now becomes the youngest-ever manager in the Premier League, at just 31 years-old.
Upon confirmation of his appointment as Brighton manager, Hürzeler said that he is “absolutely thrilled” to join the Seagulls and is “relishing the opportunity to coach in the Premier League,” plus meet his new squad, staff and fans.
The 31 year-old added: “After speaking to Tony [Bloom], Paul [Barber] and David [Weir] it was clear they are highly ambitious. Brighton have a unique history and a bold vision for the future so I am truly excited to be part of the project.
“The club has made incredible progress over the last few seasons and the aim is to continue building on that success.”
Brighton Chairman, Tony Bloom described Hürzeler as “always a standout candidate and one who had caught our attention with his exceptional work at St Pauli over the past eighteen months.
“He has a style of play that aligns with how we want a Brighton & Hove Albion team to play, and I’m confident it is one our supporters will appreciate and enjoy.
“Fabian also has an excellent coaching pedigree and has worked with the German federation at various age group levels. We are really excited to start working with Fabian to prepare for the upcoming season.”
Technical Director, David Weir added: “We will work closely with Fabian to help him settle in, and to get to know the club, staff and the area.
“Fabian already has an excellent knowledge of our squad and players, and we will be working to strengthen an already very strong squad during the transfer window.”
Hürzeler played for Bayern Munich II, Hoffenheim II and 1860 Munich II until he retired aged 23 but took on a player-coach role at FC Pipinsried between 2016 – 2020, before he joined St Pauli as assistant-manager to Timo Schultz.
Schultz however was sacked in December 2022 due to poor results and Hürzeler was appointed as his replacement, with the German eventually guiding St Pauli to an eventual fifth-placed finish in the second half of that season with two defeats in 17 league matches.
Last season saw Hürzeler lead St Pauli on a 24-match unbeaten run in all competitions excluding penalty shootouts, as they also reached the Quarter-Finals of DFB-Pokal where they lost to Fortuna Dusseldorf on penalties.
Leave a Reply