Fabian Hürzeler

Fabian Hürzeler
Personal information
Date of birth	26 February 1993 (age 31)
Place of birth	Houston, Texas, United States
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team	Brighton & Hove Albion (head coach)
Youth career
	Helios Daglfing
2004–2012	Bayern Munich
Senior career*
Years	Team
2011–2013	Bayern Munich II
2013–2014	1899 Hoffenheim II
2014–2016	1860 Munich II
2016–2020	FC Pipinsried
2020–2022	Eimsbütteler TV
International career
2008	Germany U15
2008–2009	Germany U16
2009–2010	Germany U17
2011	Germany U19
Managerial career
2016–2020	FC Pipinsried
2022–2024	FC St. Pauli
2024–	Brighton & Hove Albion
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Fabian Hürzeler (born 26 February 1993) is a German professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion.

Playing career

Hürzeler joined Bayern Munich's youth academy at the age of eleven 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, 1899 Hoffenheim II, and 1860 Munich II. He effectively ended his professional playing career at the age of 23.

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.^[1] In 2018, he also took on the job as assistant manager in charge of the Germany U20s and Germany U18s.^[1] 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 year, but went down the following season. Hürzeler stayed at Pipinsried for one further year.

FC St. Pauli

In 2020, Hürzeler was named assistant coach at FC St. Pauli, working alongside head coach Timo Schultz.^[1] Additionally, he joined the Hamburg-based sixth-division club Eimsbütteler tv and was promoted with this club to the Oberliga Hamburg, the fifth-highest level, in 2022. On 6 December 2022, following the dismissal of Schultz, Hürzeler was appointed new head coach at FC St. Pauli on an interim basis.^[2] 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 years of age.^[3] 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 ten wins in a row by April 2023.^[4] In April 2023, he obtained his UEFA Pro Licence at just 30 years of age.^[5] In March 2024, Hürzeler extended his contract with St. Pauli^[6] and on 12 May 2024 St. Pauli were promoted to the Bundesliga.^[7]

Brighton & Hove Albion

On 15 June 2024, Hürzeler became the new head coach of Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion, replacing Roberto De Zerbi.^[8] He is the youngest permanent head coach in Premier League history.^[9] In his first competitive match with Brighton, Hürzeler's team won 3–0 away at Everton in the Premier League.^[10]

Personal life

Hürzeler was born in Houston, Texas, to a Swiss father and a German mother while they were working in the United States.^[1] His family moved back to Germany when he was two years old, where he grew up in the Munich district of Bogenhausen. He holds German, Swiss, and American citizenship.^[11]

Managerial statistics

As of 31 August 2024

Managerial record by team and tenure
Team	From	To	Record								Ref.
Team	From	To	G	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Win %	Ref.
FC Pipinsried	1 July 2016	30 June 2020	103	38	28	37	140	161	−21	036.89	^[12]^[13]^[14]^[15]^[16]
FC St. Pauli	6 December 2022	15 June 2024	55	36	12	7	107	54	+53	065.45	^[17]^[18]^[19]
Brighton & Hove Albion	1 July 2024	Present	4	3	1	0	10	2	+8	075.00	^[20]^[21]
Career total			162	77	41	44	257	217	+40	047.53