When Fabian Hurzeler took the reins at Brighton & Hove Albion, he declared his ambition to "challenge the establishment" and prove that the club could punch above its weight. Two seasons later, the question is whether he has delivered on that promise, and the answer appears to be a confident yes. "Last season we did it, maybe not through the whole campaign, but we certainly achieved a lot of milestones," Hurzeler told Sky Sports, as Brighton prepared for only their second foray into European competition in the club's history.
The Seagulls have already rattled the traditional powerhouses, securing victories over Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool, while not shying away from publicly critiquing Arsenal and the tactical approach of Mikel Arteta. Their confrontations with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City and a series of touchline bans have only underscored Hurzeler's unapologetic presence in the Premier League. At 33, his fiery demeanor on the touchline has become a hallmark of a proactive, high‑energy philosophy that has propelled Brighton to consecutive eighth‑place finishes.
That same intensity once earned him a notorious seven yellow cards during a spell at St Pauli before February, a disciplinary record that he now wears as a badge of his commitment. "It definitely won't change," he affirmed.
"I want to be a winner, I want to win things for Brighton, I want to achieve together with the fans something special." The upcoming UEFA Conference League, set to kick off next month, offers the Seagulls a realistic chance to translate recent progress into tangible silverware. While neighbours Crystal Palace lifted the trophy in May, Hurzeler stresses that Brighton's aim is not merely to emulate their rivals but to demonstrate that the club can compete on several fronts simultaneously.
"We have high expectations of ourselves. We want to play a season the fans will always remember, but we also need to prove as a club that we can handle a congested schedule and still be successful," he explained. "We constantly talk about taking the next step, growing as an institution, and we must now show that we can achieve results without sacrificing our style or intensity." This summer marked a period of significant turnover.
Brighton introduced eleven new faces while saying farewell to seasoned professionals such as Carlos Baleba, Jan Paul van Hecke, Danny Welbeck and James Milner. The resulting squad is now the fourth‑youngest in the Premier League, a fact Hurzeler believes works to his advantage. "I want to be myself, I don't want to play a role, and my age definitely helps regarding understanding the players," he said. "I always say I speak their language and I understand their thoughts, because it wasn't that long ago when I played.
I didn't play at their level, but I understand their feelings, their doubts, their fears – everything a player experiences." That empathy will be crucial as the club integrates another batch of promising signings, including centre‑back Luka Vuskovic, who arrived from Tottenham for a reported £50 million and is already being praised as a shrewd investment. Hurzeler trusts Brighton's recruitment model to keep delivering talent and relies on his coaching staff to extract the best from each newcomer. In the opening three league fixtures of the current campaign, Brighton recorded a win, a draw and a loss, yet they created more clear‑cut chances (15) and boasted a higher expected‑goals figure (7.4) than any other side. Only Arsenal (24) and Manchester City (26) have taken fewer shots (33), highlighting the team's proactive approach.
"It's now our responsibility to really integrate these new players. They are here for a reason, and we have proven in the past that we possess one of the best recruitment systems in the world, so they have potential and they will show this potential," Hurzeler asserted.
When he replaced Roberto De Zerbi, Hurzeler was considered a surprise appointment and an unknown quantity. After two seasons, however, he has shed that anonymity and earned respect for navigating the rigours of the Premier League, facing elite managers, and managing the pressures of a long campaign. "I can say that I'm a better manager now than I was before, not only because I reflect on my mistakes but also because I analyse my decisions, my progress and my development," he noted.
"I have great staff around me, excellent experts, and strong support from my team and the club's hierarchy." That reflective mindset was tested midway through last season when Brighton endured a dismal run of just one win in 13 league games. Rather than pointing fingers, Hurzeler took full responsibility. "I'm not going home and blaming others.
If we lose, it's my responsibility, and I reflect on my decisions, I reflect on the training week, so I really try to get better after every game, and that's how I do it," he explained. The turnaround came by concentrating on controllable factors, reinforcing belief, and demanding greater reliability from the players on the pitch. The lesson was simple yet vital for a side aspiring to disrupt the Premier League hierarchy: consistency in the small moments matters as much as headline‑grabbing victories.
"In the Premier League you need to have reliability, you need to be really good in the small matches," Hurzeler said. His commitment to achieving that consistency was cemented with a new three‑year contract signed in May. The decision was driven by his deepening bond with the club and his conviction in its potential.
"I see my future here, and that's why I extended the contract, because when I started here, it felt like I got integrated into a family," he said. "You don't leave your family; you want to achieve something with the family, you want to make the next step, you want to grow as a club, and therefore I want to be part of it." Looking ahead, Hurzeler believes the journey is far from over. "I still feel that the journey is not over, I still feel we are in the middle of a journey and we can achieve great things," he affirmed. "I have this belief and now we have to show it." With the Conference League looming and a refreshed, youthful squad eager to prove its worth, Brighton fans can anticipate a season that may well become a defining chapter in the club's history, guided by a manager determined to turn ambition into tangible triumphs.