Second European Cup participation possible
©IMAGO
At the beginning of February, Fabian Hürzeler was showered with boos from Brighton fans, and three months later he was rewarded with an early extension. The 33-year-old signed a new working paper with the Seagulls until June 30, 2029. Hürzeler put a stop to speculation about a possible move to the Bundesliga. He was traded as a possible successor to Kasper Hjulmand at Bayer Leverkusen.
“I really enjoy working for this club and really enjoy living in this city. I’m really happy about the contract extension. This long-term commitment to the club is an honor and only strengthens my desire to successfully implement our shared vision,” said Hürzeler, who moved to England from FC St. Pauli in 2024. Since then, his team has scored an average of 1.59 points in 85 games, which is slightly better than under predecessor Roberto De Zerbi (1.51).
In February, however, Hürzeler experienced the “most difficult moment” in his career, as he himself emphasized at the time. After just one three-pointer from 13 games and six games without a win in a row, Brighton slipped to 14th place. Despite the merciless boos from the Seagulls fans, the club stuck with the German. Since then, Brighton has fought its way back up to eighth place, just one point behind the European Cup places and ahead of renowned clubs such as Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham.
“Since his appointment, Fabian has continued the club’s positive development in recent seasons with consistently good performances on the pitch and developed a clear playing philosophy,” enthused club president Tony Bloom. Hürzeler emphasized that he was proud of what had been achieved. “I’m even more excited about what lies ahead of us.” For Brighton, reaching international business would be only the second European Cup participation after 2023/24, when it ended in the Europa League round of 16.
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