Brighton & Hove Albion have confirmed the appointment of Fabian Hurzeler as their new head coach. The 31-year-old has penned a three-year deal until June 2027 and becomes the youngest permanent Premier League manager in history . Brighton's thorough data-led analysis, carried out by chairman and owner Tony Bloom , CEO Paul Barber and technical director David Weir , resulted in the Seagulls identifying Hurzeler as their primary managerial target to succeed Roberto De Zerbi , who mutually departed the club at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Hurzeler will begin work as Brighton boss "straight away" ahead of the squad returning for pre-season preparations in July, as soon as his work permit has been processed. Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at Hurzeler's career and what Brighton fans can expect from the highly-rated German coach. © Reuters Hurzeler was born in Houston, Texas to a Swiss dentist and German mother while they were both working in the United States, and his family moved back to Germany when he was two years old.
After a three-year stay in Freiburg, Hurzeler and his family settled in the Daglfing district of Munich and he began his playing career as a youngster with SV Helios before joining Bayern Munich II in 2008. A midfielder in his playing days, Hurzeler was disciplined in Bayern's reserve team under the tutelage of Hermann Hummels , the father of Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels , and he also shared a dressing room with Tottenham Hotspur midfielder P.
