When Fabian Hurzeler took over the reins at Brighton & Hove Albion, he declared his ambition to "challenge the establishment" in English football. Two years later, the question remains: has he delivered on that promise? "Last season we did it, maybe not throughout the entire campaign, but we certainly achieved a lot of great things," Hurzeler told Sky Sports, as Brighton prepared to embark on their second ever European adventure in club history.
The Seagulls have already made headlines by beating the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool, taking aim at Arsenal and Mikel Arteta’s tactical approach, sparring with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, and racking up a series of touch‑line bans. These moments have left little doubt that Hurzeler’s influence has been both dramatic and polarising during his two Premier League seasons. At 33, the German’s fiery presence on the touchline has become a hallmark of his proactive, high‑energy philosophy. Under his guidance, Brighton have secured back‑to‑back eighth‑place finishes – a record that has placed the club firmly in the conversation about the league’s emerging powers.
Yet that same intensity has also landed him in trouble. During his earlier stint at St Pauli, he amassed seven yellow cards before February, a pattern that has continued in England. "It definitely won’t change," Hurzeler said. "I want to be a winner, I want to win things for Brighton, I want to achieve something special together with the fans." The upcoming UEFA Europa Conference League, which kicks off next month, offers Brighton another chance to translate recent progress into actual silverware.
While their South London rivals Crystal Palace lifted the trophy in May, Hurzeler’s focus is less about copying that achievement and more about proving that Brighton can compete on multiple fronts without losing their identity. "We set high standards for ourselves. We want to deliver a season that the supporters will always remember, but we also need to demonstrate that, as a club, we can handle a congested fixture list and still be successful," he explained.
"We always talk about taking the next step, growing as a club, and now we have to prove that we can succeed while preserving our style and intensity." This summer has seen a dramatic turnover in the squad. Eleven new faces have arrived, while established players such as Carlos Baleba, Jan Paul van Hecke, Danny Welbeck and James Milner have departed. The result is the fourth‑youngest roster in the Premier League, a demographic shift that Hurzeler believes plays to his advantage.
"I want to be myself, I don’t want to play a role, and my age definitely helps when it comes to understanding the players," he said. "I always say I speak their language because not long ago I was a professional myself. I may not have played at their level, but I understand their feelings, doubts, fears – everything a player goes through." That empathy will be crucial as Brighton continue to integrate promising youngsters, including centre‑back Luka Vuskovic, a £50 million acquisition from Tottenham who has already shown he was a shrewd purchase.
Hurzeler trusts the club’s recruitment model to keep delivering talent, and he relies on his coaching staff to extract the maximum from each newcomer. In the opening three league fixtures of the new season, Brighton have recorded a win, a draw and a loss. Statistically, they have generated more clear‑cut chances (15) and a higher expected goals figure (7.4) than any other side, while only Arsenal (24) and Manchester City (26) have taken fewer shots (33).
"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 Hurzeler was appointed, replacing Roberto De Zerbi, many saw him as a surprise choice.
After two seasons, he is no longer the unknown quantity that arrived in the south of England. The relentless demands of the Premier League – facing world‑class managers, coping with the pressure of a long campaign, and navigating inevitable setbacks – have shaped his development.
"I can say I’m a better manager now than I was before, not just because I reflect on my mistakes but also because I examine my decisions, my progress and my development," he noted. "I have great staff around me, experts, support from all my team members and great personalities." That reflective approach 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 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 said. He believes the turnaround came from focusing on controllable factors, maintaining belief, and demanding greater reliability from his players.
"In the Premier League you need to have reliability, you need to be really good in the small matches," he explained, underscoring that consistency in seemingly minor games often decides a season’s fate. In May, Hurzeler committed his future to Brighton by signing a new three‑year contract.
The decision was driven as much by his personal bond with the club as by its potential. "I see my future here, and that’s why I extended the contract, because when I started, I felt 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." He remains convinced that the next milestone is within reach.
"I still feel 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." Brighton’s upcoming fixtures, including a high‑profile clash against Coventry, will test the squad’s depth and resolve. As the Seagulls look to blend youthful exuberance with seasoned experience, Hurzeler’s mantra of relentless improvement and collective ambition will be the compass guiding them toward their first major trophy.