Fabian Hürzeler

Fabian Hürzeler (born 26 February 1993) is a German professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of 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.

Early career
In 2016, Hürzeler, who had been eyeing a transition into a managerial role since a youth age 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 a job as an assistant manager in charge of the Germany U20s and Germany U18s. Hürzeler been player and head coach as well and promoted from Bayernliga Süd, the fifth-highest level in Germany, to Regionalliga Bayern, the fourth division. FC Pipinsried did avoid the relegation to Bayernliga Süd in the first year, but missed the stay in the next year. Hürzeler remained still one year in Pipinsried.

FC St. Pauli
In 2020, Hürzeler was named new assistant at FC St. Pauli, working alongside head coach Timo Schultz. Additionally, he joined the Hamburg-based sixth-division club Eimsbütteler tv and 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. He was successively given the head coaching job on a permanent basis just two weeks later, on 23 December, following a positive string of results, thus becoming the youngest head coach in the 2. Bundesliga league at just 29 years of age. Under his tenure, Hürzeler managed to turn the team's fortunes, taking a club in danger of relegation and bringing it close to the promotion spots by achieving ten wins in a row by April 2023. In April 2023, he obtained his UEFA Pro Licence at just 30 years of age. In March 2024, Hürzeler extended his contract with St. Pauli. On 12 May 2024, under his tenure, St. Pauli were promoted to the Bundesliga.

Brighton & Hove Albion
On 15 June 2024, Hürzeler agreed a contract to become the new head coach of Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion, pending the reception of a work permit, to replace the departing Roberto De Zerbi. He became the youngest permanent head coach in Premier League history.

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 back to Germany when he was two years old, where he grew up in the Munich borough of Bogenhausen. He holds German, Swiss, and American citizenship.

Honours

 * FC Pipinsried
 * Bayernliga Süd Promotion: 2016–17


 * FC St. Pauli
 * 2. Bundesliga: 2023–24