Brighton appoint Hurzeler, 31, as manager

Brighton person appointed Fabian Hurzeler, 31, arsenic their manager, making him nan youngest ever full-time leader of a Premier League team.

Hurzeler, who guided St Pauli to nan Bundesliga 2 title past play by winning 20 of their 34 matches, has signed a statement until 2027.

Brighton president Tony Bloom said his activity pinch St Pauli made him a "standout candidate" to switch Roberto de Zerbi, who near astatine nan extremity of nan season.

Hurzeler will commencement pinch nan broadside erstwhile he receives a activity licence earlier Brighton's squad embarks connected pre-season preparations successful July.

“He has a style of play that aligns pinch really we want a Brighton & Hove Albion squad to play and I’m assured it is 1 our supporters will admit and enjoy," said Bloom.

Ryan Mason, past 29, was concisely Tottenham's interim leader successful 2021 and is nan youngest coach to ever lead a Premier League team, but Hurzeler is nan youngest to do truthful connected a full-time ground since nan division's creation successful 1992.

Hurzeler is besides younger than a number of Brighton's elder players, including James Milner, 38, Danny Welbeck, 33, and Lewis Dunk, 32.

The caller Seagulls head said he was looking guardant to moving for a squad who are "highly ambitious".

"The nine has a unsocial history and bold imagination for nan early truthful I americium genuinely excited to beryllium portion of nan project," said Hurzeler.

First-team coach Andrew Crofts and goalkeeping coach Jack Stern will stay successful their positions, and Brighton opportunity nan remainder of Hurzeler's backroom unit will beryllium confirmed "in owed course".

Simon Stone, BBC Sport Chief shot news reporter

If location was a nine apt to name a 31-year-old manager, personification younger than their skipper and a number of cardinal players, it was Brighton.

It has been said galore times successful nan past nan nine has nary ceiling and is prepared to deliberation extracurricular nan container to support challenging bigger, richer and much established Premier League clubs.

Hurzeler’s CV is not extended but it includes occurrence and besides a committedness to a akin style to De Zerbi and Graham Potter earlier him.

No managerial assignment comes without risk. If location has been be aware expressed astir nan ‘Brighton model’, it has travel from those who mention Southampton and Leicester arsenic clubs who punched supra their weight for an extended play and ended up successful nan Championship erstwhile it went wrong.

But Hurzeler seems to beryllium a bully fit.

On Tuesday, he will study who his first opponents arsenic a Premier League head will be. He will beryllium hoping to debar a succession of games pinch English football’s heavyweights to springiness Brighton a chance of not uncovering themselves connected nan backmost foot.

If they tin do that, Hurzeler whitethorn beryllium different astute assignment for a nine who person made it into an creation form.

German shot journalist Raphael Honigstein believes Hurzeler is an inspiring assignment for Albion, albeit a "gamble" fixed his inexperience.

Hurzeler came done nan younker ranks astatine Bayern Munich but trim short his playing profession astatine 23 to spell into coaching.

After spells successful complaint of Germany Under-20s and Under-18s, he became Timo Schultz's adjunct astatine St Pauli successful 2020 and took complaint of nan squad successful December 2022.

"He's a really breathtaking prospect," Honigstein told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"He stormed nan Bundesliga 2 pinch St Pauli. He had immense offers, St Pauli renewed his statement successful March but I conjecture Brighton person changed nan equation.

"It's besides a bet because he efficaciously only has 1 and a half years of coaching truthful acold connected his CV."

Bundesliga 2 master Matthew Karagich said Brighton fans tin expect a akin style of play nether Hurzeler to what they saw nether De Zerbi.

"St Pauli are a very beardown ball-playing squad and that is 1 point you will spot from his teams - it is each astir possessing nan ball," he told BBC Radio Sussex.

"You're looking astatine a squad that will effort to usage its gait to get down defences and create opportunities. The 1 point that you tin besides adhd is that he likes his teams to beryllium rather flexible.

"Sometimes they tin beryllium reactive but very seldom is that nan case. In astir cases, they for illustration to predominate nan game, beryllium successful power and person nan foot-on-the-throat mantra.

"We don't want to conscionable hit you, we want to destruct - that resembles nan measurement he reacts connected nan touchline. He is very passionate."