Fabian Hurzeler has pledged to continue his fight as Brighton's manager, despite facing increasing pressure following a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at the Amex Stadium on Sunday. The loss, suffered at the hands of their bitter rivals, has intensified the scrutiny on the young head coach, with fans expressing their discontent during the game.
Hurzeler faced jeers and chants of "you don't know what you're doing" and "you're getting sacked in the morning" as Brighton's struggles continued. Crystal Palace secured their first win in 13 games in all competitions thanks to Ismaila Sarr's 61st-minute goal. This victory allowed Palace to move past Brighton into 13th place in the Premier League standings.
Speaking after the match, Hurzeler acknowledged the difficult situation. "Now it's not the moment to talk about my human feelings," he said. "Everyone can imagine how you would feel if 25,000 demand things and sing about you". Despite the pressure, the former St. Pauli boss remained resolute. "It's not an easy situation but there are only two options: to give up or to keep working harder, and that's always the option I choose so far in my life," Hurzeler affirmed. "That's why I am sitting here because I never give up. That's what I will keep pushing to do".
Hurzeler admitted that this is the toughest period of his managerial career. "I think it's the hardest moment (of my managerial career) but it's also the moment where I try to get the most out of it, I learn the most and I will grow the most. I will face this adversity and I will get through it," he stated.
Brighton has struggled to maintain consistency in their league form, winning only one of their last 12 Premier League matches. The home crowd's frustration was evident when Hurzeler made a triple substitution in the 71st minute, replacing Maxim De Cuyper, Carlos Baleba, and Harry Howell with Diego Gomez, Yankuba Minteh, and Danny Welbeck. The jeers grew louder as Brighton failed to create meaningful chances, reaching a peak at the final whistle with some supporters calling for Hurzeler's dismissal.
Hurzeler, who guided Brighton to an eighth-place finish last season, is now facing a test of his leadership. Before the Palace match, Hurzeler emphasized the need to manage the final minutes of games better, especially after conceding late goals in their previous two Premier League games against Fulham and Everton. He said, "We have to play the last minutes of the game better than we played in the past. We have to be even more focused. We have to even focus more on the details".
Despite the team's struggles, Hurzeler remains committed to Brighton. "I always promise I give my heart, I give my soul for this club, and I will keep doing this," the 32-year-old insisted. He is determined to turn things around and navigate through this challenging phase of his managerial career.