Fabian Hürzeler
Fabian Marc Hürzeler is a German professional football manager and former player. He is the current head coach of club Brighton & Hove Albion. He became the youngest permanent head coach in Premier League history at age 31.
Playing career
Hürzeler joined Bayern Munich's [FC FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich Junior Team|youth academy] at the age of 10 and went through all of the club's youth teams. He also represented Germany at several youth levels, collecting 21 appearances for his country. His career as a professional footballer took place mainly in the lower ranks of German football, playing with Bayern Munich II, TSG Hoffenheim II, and 1860 Munich II. He effectively ended his professional playing career at the age of 22, but continued to play at an amateur level with FC Pipinsried, as a player-coach. After joining the coaching staff of FC St. Pauli in 2020, Hürzeler joined Hamburg-based sixth division club Eimsbütteler TV and was promoted with the club to the Oberliga Hamburg, the fifth-highest level, in 2022.Coaching career
Early career
In 2016, Hürzeler, who had been eyeing a transition into a managerial role for many years and had been predicted a "great career as a coach" by former Bayern Munich II teammate Emre Can, moved down to the amateur ranks of German football, joining FC Pipinsried in a joint player-head coach role. In 2018, he also took on the job as assistant manager in charge of the Germany U20s and Germany U18s. Hürzeler took Pipinsried up from Bayernliga Süd, the fifth-highest level in Germany, to Regionalliga Bayern, the fourth division. FC Pipinsried avoided relegation to Bayernliga Süd in the first season, but went down the following season. Hürzeler stayed at Pipinsried for one more year.FC St. Pauli
In 2020, Hürzeler was named assistant coach at FC St. Pauli, working alongside head coach Timo Schultz. On 6 December 2022, following the dismissal of Schultz, Hürzeler was appointed new interim head coach. He was given the job of head coach on a permanent basis just two weeks later, on 23 December, following several good results, thus becoming the youngest head coach in the 2. Bundesliga league at just 29. Hürzeler managed to turn round the team's fortunes, taking St. Pauli from in danger of relegation to close to the promotion places by achieving 10 wins in a row by April 2023. In April 2023, he obtained his UEFA Pro Licence at just 30. In March 2024, Hürzeler extended his contract with the club and on 12 May 2024 St. Pauli were promoted to the Bundesliga.Brighton & Hove Albion
On 15 June 2024, Hürzeler became the new head coach of Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion, replacing Roberto De Zerbi. He is the youngest permanent head coach in Premier League history. In his first competitive match with Brighton, Hürzeler's team won 3–0 away at Everton in the Premier League. Hürzeler oversaw an unbeaten start to Brighton's season, which also included a home win against Manchester United and an away draw at Arsenal, earning him the Premier League Manager of the Month award for August. In his first season, Brighton finished eighth in the Premier League after they beat Europa League winners Tottenham Hotspur 4–1, achieving a first ever league double over them. Despite this, Brighton missed out on European qualification due to rivals Crystal Palace winning the FA Cup.Personal life
Hürzeler was born in Houston, Texas, to a Swiss father and a German mother while they were working in the United States. His family moved to Germany when he was two years old, where he grew up in Bogenhausen, a district of Munich. He holds German, Swiss, and American citizenship.Honours
FC Pipinsried- Bayernliga Süd promotion: 2016–17
Individual