Fabian Hurzeler ticks every box for a Brighton manager

You know the search for a new Brighton manager is getting serious when you find yourself Googling a 31-year-old called Fabian Hurzeler who hardly anybody in England has previously heard of currently in charge of a club in the German second tier.

Esteemed Daily Telegraph football reporter Matt Law admitted he had to look up Hurzeler. Hurzeler’s name has never appeared prominently in any next Brighton manager betting market.

And yet when you read about the manner in which he has led St Pauli to the Bundesliga 2 title and brought top flight football to the Millerntor-Stadion for the first time in 14 years, it makes you wonder why nobody has mentioned Hurzeler before.

Who is Fabian Hurzeler?

The thing that strikes you first when you Google Hurzeler is his age. 31. As in, thirty one. If Fabian Hurzeler is appointed Brighton head coach, he will become the youngest permanent manager in Premier League history.

Of the current Albion squad, six players are older than Hurzeler – James Milner, Danny Welbeck, Jason Steele, Pascal Gross, Lewis Dunk, Joel Veltman. Milner is old enough to be his dad… or something like that.

How does one so young become a successful manager of a professional football club playing at a high level? Hurzeler would say the answer is by chance as much as anything, seeing as he fell into coaching through injury problems.

Hurzeler was born in Texas to a Swiss father and a German mother working in the United States. He only lived for a few years in the US but claims that the attitude and American way of life rubbed off him.

No, this does not mean he owns an assault rifle or believes the world is flat. In an interview with Goal, Hurzeler said: “My character is just open-minded. I’ll always be open-minded to everything, to everybody and I try to work hard to reach your dream. I think that’s one point that always will be connected to the United States.”

Hurzeler the journeyman footballer

After leaving Texas, the family moved to Bavaria. At age 12, Hurzeler signed for Bayern Munich. At 17, he captained a youth team including Emre Can. During their time together at Bayern, Can predicted Hurzeler would become a great coach.

Hurzeler never progressed beyond the B Team at Bayern due to injuries. He moved to Hoffenheim but was again restricted to just reserve appearances. It was the same story when he moved to 1860 Munich.

As it became clear Hurzeler was never going to play outside of the lower levels of the German pyramid, he turned his attention towards coaching.

The move into coaching

Aged 23, he became player-manager of fifth tier side FC Pipinsried. Hurzeler spent four seasons between 2016 and 2020 with the Bavarian-based amateurs, at the same time as completing his Fussball Lehrer coaching badges.

His talent was apparent enough whilst undertaking these qualifications for Hurzeler to work as assistant manager for Germany Under 18s and Under 20s.

In 2020, Timo Schultz appointed Hurzeler as his number two at St Pauli. When Schultz was sacked in early December 2022, Hurzeler was put in temporary charge. There has been no looking back.

Hurzeler won his first 10 Bundesliga games in a row. His record by the end of the 2022-23 season read played 17, won 13, drawn 2, lost 2.

St Pauli went from the cusp of the Bundesliga 2 relegation battle to almost securing an unlikely promotion in the space of five months and with no major signings.

That form continued into 2023-24. St Pauli were unbeaten in the league in their opening 20 matches through to February. Their next 14 games returned nine wins and five defeats. It proved just about enough to hold off the challenge of Holsten Keil, whom St Pauli pipped to the title by a single point.

The next Julian Nagelsmann? Or the next Roberto De Zerbi?

Comparisons have predictably been made between Hurzeler and Julian Nagelsmann. Both grew up in Bavaria, focussed on coaching over playing at a young age and found great success as a result.

Nagelsmann landed his first Bundesliga managerial job aged 28 at Hoffenheim. He moved to RB Leipzig at 31, was Bayern manager before his 34th birthday and will lead Germany into Euro 2024 aged only 36.

When it comes to managerial style, however, Hurzeler is more frequently compared to another manager. Roberto De Zerbi. Which is where things get really interesting from a Brighton perspective.

Fabian Hurzeler’s De Zerbian principles will suit Brighton

De Zerbian is a bloody incredible term. One I wish I had known about whilst the great man was in charge of the Albion. And it pops up frequently in this fascinating tactical analysis from Analytics FC of how Hurzeler has delivered such stunning success for St Pauli.

His style of football appears remarkably similar to De Zerbi. St Pauli keep the ball at the back, slowing the game down and attempting to draw their opponents press.

When the other side commit, St Pauli break forward at speed with particular focus down the flanks. It is to all intents and purposes DeZerbiBall… but with a couple of twists.

Differences between Hurzeler and De Zerbi

There are two key difference between the way Hurzeler and De Zerbi play. The first is formation. DeZerbiBall was at its most successful with a 4-2-3-1. Hurzeler in contrast favours a Graham Potter-esque 3-4-3 with wing backs rather than wingers.

How that translates to a Brighton squad whose most dangerous players are out-and-out wingers will be interesting to see in the event of Hurzeler being offered the Albion job.

Would Hurzeler change his formation? Redeploy the likes of Kaoru Mitoma and Simon Adingra as wing backs? Or push them further forward as part of the front three, either side of Danny Welbeck or Evan Ferguson?

More intriguing is that St Pauli had a way of winning even when opponents did not take the bait and press. That represents a a difference to De Zerbi, who was often criticised for a lack of Plan B.

With the correct game plan normally involving sitting off and refusing to press, other teams could not only stifle De Zerbi’s Brighton side but tear them apart.

Opponents of St Pauli have tried similarly ignoring the bait. When they do this though, Hurzeler’s team use their 3-4-3 formation to overload in wide areas.

The wing backs head to the touchlines and the two forwards operating either side of the man through the middle similarly go wide, leaving the opposition caught between a rock and a hard place.

Push their own players wide to balance the numbers and gaps pop up through the middle into which the three centre backs and two midfielders roam.

Don’t get drawn out and you risk St Pauli causing havoc down the flanks. As a result, Hurzeler’s style of football has multiple ways to hurt opponents.

Will Fabian Hurzeler be the next Brighton manager?

Fabian Hurzeler has a strong case to be the next Brighton manager beyond similarities to De Zerbi and the benefits that could bring in terms of a seamless transition.

St Pauli finished first in Bundesliga 2 with a budget said to be eighth at best. If the Albion are to challenge for Europe again, they will need a head coach who can outperform the resources he is given. Hurzeler has proven he can do that.

He has also had to cope with the departure of numerous key players. Centre back Jakov Medic was sold to Ajax. Left back Leart Pacarda left for Cologne. Midfielder Lukas Daschner went to Bochum. Number 10 Daniel-Kofi Kyereh moved to Freiburg. Forward Guido Burgstaller was sold to Rapid Vienna.

Part and parcel of life as Brighton manager is accepting that individuals will be sold on if a bigger club makes an acceptable offer.

Hurzeler saw the spine of his team depart last summer to the Bundesliga, the Netherlands and Austria. His response was to go and win a league title regardless.

He looks to tick every box Tony Bloom likes ticked. Do not be surprised if the coming weeks bring Herr Hurzeler to the Amex.