Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler expressed his frustration after a controversial penalty decision went against his team in their recent Premier League match against Bournemouth. The match, held at the Amex Stadium on January 19, 2026, saw Brighton salvage a 1-1 draw thanks to a late goal from substitute Charalampos Kostoulas.
The contentious moment occurred in the 32nd minute when Bournemouth winger Amine Adli went down in the box following a challenge by Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. Referee Paul Tierney initially booked Adli for diving. However, after consulting the pitch-side monitor based on VAR Jarred Gillett's advice, Tierney reversed his decision and awarded a penalty to Bournemouth. Marcus Tavernier converted the penalty, giving Bournemouth the lead.
Hurzeler made his feelings clear after the match, stating, "For me, it's not a penalty, but we have to accept people make mistakes". He acknowledged the difficulty of arguing with the referee in such situations, noting that officials tend to stick to their decisions. Hurzeler further elaborated on the guidelines referees had shared at the beginning of the season, emphasizing that "contact doesn't mean foul" and that the incident, in his view, was merely incidental contact. He also questioned the logic of VAR's intervention in this specific instance.
Replays showed Adli reaching a cross from Tavernier just ahead of Verbruggen, with the Brighton keeper making contact with Adli's thigh as the ball went out of play. The decision sparked considerable anger among Brighton fans, who voiced their disapproval with boos and chants directed at referee Tierney as he left the pitch at halftime.
Hurzeler also felt that the penalty affected his team's performance. "The penalty changed the game, we lost our rhythm, we made afterwards too many easy technical mistakes," he said. He also admitted that their overall performance was not up to par.
Despite Hurzeler's frustration, Brighton managed to secure a draw thanks to an overhead kick from 18-year-old Kostoulas in added time. This late goal prevented Bournemouth from taking all three points and eased some of the tension surrounding the penalty decision.
