Hürzeler addresses Leverkusen rumours, emphasising his trust in Brighton while hinting at future possibilities.
Fabian Hürzeler has been heavily linked a move back to Germany, with Bayer Leverkusen sniffing at his services.
Leverkusen are believed to hold Hürzeler in very high regard, with their current manager, Kasper Hjulmand, is currently on increasingly thin ice to keep hold of his job at the German side.
What did Fabian say?
The Albion head coach, Hürzeler, has broken his silence to Sky Sports, saying:
“I’m very thankful for the trust and support the club gives me, Tony [Bloom], Paul [Barber] gave me. Overall, I’m really enjoying the time here, and therefore we are focused on a strong finish to the season.”
Despite the reactions from Brighton fans only a month ago after a bitter defeat to rivals Crystal Palace, he continued to back his trust at the club.
“I really feel trusted and welcomed here. I can express myself, I can be successful with this team. There are so many things to play for until the end of the season.”
The head coach has had a difficult time forging a close relationship to the Albion faithful, but it hasn’t stopped his determination to prove them wrong.
Albion’s results have picked up significantly in recent games. Four wins in five, including impressive victories away at Sunderland and at home to Liverpool, pushed Brighton right back into the mix for European football as the season draws to a nervy close.
From a fan’s perspective, it’s hard to ignore the noise, and the quotes do not directly suggest any signs of “shutting down” a move from the Amex.
Albeit, a move would be incredibly unlikely at this stage of the season anyway, and so it’d be one to be revisited in the summer.
Whilst the words ring nicely, in context of the interview, it does seem heavily just words at this stage.
It’d be hard to begrudge Hürzeler being tempted to return to his home country, especially with clubs as big as Leverkusen lurking.
Only a couple of years ago, Leverkusen won the Bundesliga as invincibles, and that unbeaten record lasted all the way up until the Europa League Final. A quite staggering contrast to how they look this season.
Leverkusen turned around an impressive victory today, though. From 3-1 down at half-time to Wolfsburg, they finished the game as 6-3 winners. Perhaps a change in fortunes for Hjulmand?
What will Hürzeler do?
As mentioned, Hürzeler hasn’t had it easy at Brighton. Winning over the fans has proven difficult since the departure of Roberto De Zerbi in 2024.
The lack of connection does tend to show itself up when the results get ugly. Brighton fans are not usually ones to be heavily critical, but tempers reached boiling point only shortly before the turn in form.
Hürzeler has struggled with keeping a consistent style of play, too.
Players at his disposal who don’t necessarily fit with his intended way of playing, but also a common naivety to see games out and get results over the line. His pragmatism to purism ratio can be quite confusing at times.
At this stage, I’d fully believe Hürzeler would commit himself until the end of the season.
Depending on how the games go, Leverkusen’s decision making, and whether Brighton finish in a European qualification spot will continue to be the question marks on a final decision.