In an exclusive interview with The Athletic, Hürzeler reflected on his conversations with Ancelotti and explained Brighton & Hove Albion's transfer strategy.

"To be with him, to discuss football with him, it's an incredibly valuable experience. He sticks to old-school principles but implements them in a modern way," said Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Hürzeler, speaking about his growing rapport with an unexpected confidant.

This summer, the Brighton & Hove Albion head coach made a point of sitting down and humbly seeking advice from Brazil national team coach Ancelotti. For the 33-year-old manager, it was a crucial learning experience.

"One thing he particularly emphasized was human connection, how to interact with players and staff, and the calm composure he exudes. 'I know what I'm doing, trust me.' I also want to build strong connections with everyone. This truly inspired me."

Their first meeting was a video call last season, arranged by Ancelotti's son, Davide. Ancelotti was at home in Vancouver, smoking a cigarette – an image that perfectly matched the famous coach's relaxed and easygoing demeanor on the sidelines.

"He was exceptionally frank," Hürzeler said. "He spent a lot of time talking to me and even asked me questions. We talked for a long time, and then he told me: 'If you go to the World Cup, come and visit our national team camp.'"

However, due to scheduling conflicts, Hürzeler's original plan to observe Ancelotti coaching the Brazilian team had to be abandoned. "We ended up meeting at the hotel," Hürzeler recalled. "Interestingly, we also watched the England vs. Croatia match together. We just talked about football, and he shared many anecdotes. For example, about Modrić, who was on the field at the time; he told many stories about Modrić, who played for Ancelotti at Real Madrid, talking about his character and his leadership style."

During the World Cup, Hürzeler also gained another valuable learning experience, serving as a pundit for UK Talksport radio. He was responsible for summarizing the England 0-0 draw against Ghana and provided post-match analysis for several England matches, as well as Spain's victory over Argentina in the World Cup final.

"This job is very helpful for a coach; you have to condense information into short, understandable statements that everyone can grasp," Hürzeler explained. "Football might be becoming more complex, but simplicity is key, less is more. Publicly expressing opinions in the media benefits every head coach; you constantly learn how to handle arguments and discuss with other experts. I enjoy this because I see parallels with coaching work."

He was not heavily involved in Germany's matches during the World Cup. In his two years at the helm of Brighton & Hove Albion, he has also actively integrated into the English living environment.

The interview took place at the popular Rockwater venue on Hove seafront. Midway through the interview, a mother approached with her two sons, asking for a photo with Hürzeler. Such scenes have become commonplace for him. During his tenure in the coastal city, he has become a household name.

"I genuinely want to adapt to the local culture," he said. "When the media or fans criticize me, the criticism is appropriate and always respectful. So I also want to give back and integrate into the local culture. Now that I live in England, I should also adopt the local mindset."

"This is deeply connected to the city and the club. I am very welcome here; the club has a strong sense of community, like a big family. I feel like I'm part of the team's journey, which is why I can deeply identify with it and feel an increasing sense of belonging."

However, his time coaching on the South Coast hasn't always been smooth sailing. In February this year, Brighton & Hove Albion lost to arch-rivals Crystal Palace, and the team entered a winter slump, winning only one match in 13 league games. Some Brighton & Hove Albion fans openly criticized Hürzeler, and some even called for his dismissal. But the team's form then strongly rebounded, and relying on Hürzeler's advocated controlled, high-intensity attacking and defensive system, the team finished eighth in the league for the second consecutive season, securing a spot in the UEFA Conference League.

Hürzeler signed a new three-year contract in May. Did he have any doubts when signing the extension? "If I said none at all, that would be a lie," he admitted. "Doubts always exist, but mostly concerning results. I still strongly believe in my coaching style, in my way of leading the team, I fully trust my players, and I am convinced that this tactical system is perfectly suited to the players, allowing them to unleash their full potential. On these levels, I have never doubted. But when results are poor, you inevitably think about how to win."

"When facing such difficulties, two things are crucial. First, you must never let doubt, fear, and insecurity change your approach or shake your beliefs. You must stand in front of the entire team and convey this confidence."

"Second, do not waver from your core football philosophy. Never go to the other extreme, like switching directly to deep defense and focusing only on counter-attacks. That's the worst option. Of course, details can be adjusted: adjusting the starting lineup, how you communicate with players, the setup of training. But the underlying core philosophy cannot be changed."

"Once the core tactics repeatedly waver, players will feel confused: playing one way this week, then a different system next week. I am absolutely confident in my tactical philosophy and will never overturn its foundations. I will fine-tune details for different situations, but this underlying football philosophy will always be adhered to."

Previously, when his future was uncertain, Bayer Leverkusen considered him as a head coach candidate. Hürzeler had no prior experience coaching in the Bundesliga top flight, but he led St. Pauli to promotion from 2. Bundesliga and succeeded De Zerbi as Brighton & Hove Albion manager in the summer of 2024. As a player, he was a midfielder in Bayern Munich's youth academy and reserve team, describing himself as "highly intelligent in football but not particularly fast." He retired early in his twenties to fully dedicate himself to coaching. So, if his former club Bayern Munich came calling, what would he choose?

"The future is unpredictable," Hürzeler said. "As a player, I certainly had ties to Bayern Munich and many connections. But currently, I am not negotiating with any other club; I am fully committed to my work at Brighton & Hove Albion. The club owner and CEO have given me their full trust. I genuinely feel this trust. Every night when I go to sleep, I feel that this team is far from realizing its full potential."

"We occasionally play excellent matches, but we haven't reached the consistent level I desire. Building trust and understanding with players is paramount, and this takes time to develop. This club has all the conditions to achieve truly memorable great accomplishments in the future."

"I want to be part of that. I cannot guarantee that it will all happen this season, but I can guarantee that we will continue to work diligently, keep doing the right things, and remain humble, which is very important. We must understand that the essence of football is human relationships and connections. By doing these things, we can absolutely achieve outstanding results."

In pursuit of further progress, Brighton & Hove Albion has rebuilt its squad this summer, making the team younger overall. A group of older players in their thirties and forties have gradually departed, most notably Milner's retirement and Welbeck's transfer to Chelsea.

The team signed six new players this summer, who can be divided into two categories: one category consists of immediate impact players in their mid-twenties, represented by Leeds United center-back Struijk and Canadian international Promise-David, who joined on loan this Tuesday; the other category comprises promising young talents, epitomized by 19-year-old center-back Luka Vušković, signed from Tottenham. This Croatian international set Brighton & Hove Albion's club record transfer fee at £46 million, £6 million less than the income from Van Hecke's transfer to Tottenham.

Vušković, along with Nigerian winger Zadok Jonathan, signed for £21.8 million, are precisely the type of young players Brighton & Hove Albion excels at discovering and developing, to be honed and then sold for a high price. The recruitment relies on Bloom's global database, but Hürzeler is deeply involved. "This is also a major reason why I chose to renew my contract," he said. "Tony and I collaborate smoothly and communicate frankly on recruitment matters. He is very open-minded and gives me a great deal of freedom and decision-making power."

"Of course, everything is constrained by a framework. For example: we need a center-back, and data will filter out four or five candidates. Then we evaluate together: what is the player's personality like? Does he fit the team's tactics? Can he integrate into the changing room? What is his injury history? We consider these soft factors comprehensively. The final decision is made jointly. The broad framework is set by Tony, but within that framework, our collaboration is open, transparent, and sincere; I can build this team together with Tony."

Now Hürzeler is among the five longest-serving head coaches in the Premier League. This season, the Premier League welcomes nine new head coaches, and six teams among last season's top 12 have changed their head coaches, which makes the challenges of the new season even more complex. "The coaching community has seen a major overhaul; you need to study and adapt to the vastly different tactical approaches of all the new coaches, they are all excellent coaches," Hürzeler stated. "I think the new Premier League season will still be full of variables, and the competition will be extremely fierce. I also hope the current situation can improve, but set pieces will still play a crucial role."

In March this year, Brighton & Hove Albion lost 0-1 at home to eventual league champions Arsenal. Before and after the match, Hürzeler publicly criticized Arsenal's time-wasting and over-reliance on set pieces. He admitted that "set pieces can change and decide the outcome of a match," but he worried that despite the World Cup initially pushing for a series of new rules aimed at speeding up the game, set pieces would negate the effect of these new rules.

The new rules include: referees setting a 5-second countdown for goal kicks and throw-ins; when a goalkeeper requests medical attention on the field, one outfield player from their team must leave the pitch for one minute, to prevent tactical time-wasting. In the second half of that March encounter, Arsenal goalkeeper Raya went down for treatment, and Hürzeler publicly criticized him for deliberately time-wasting.

"We are implementing new rules and striving to speed up the game, but every set piece interrupts the flow of play. Maintaining a smooth pace of the game is crucial. Football is entertainment, fans pay a lot to come and watch, expecting to see an enjoyable match, and afterwards they can say 'that was so exciting'."

"The outside world judges a coach solely by results. So I know how important set pieces are for winning. But at the same time, our goal is to develop young players and stick to a clear tactical style; set pieces have never been at the core of our team-building philosophy."

"Every trend creates a counter-trend. We'll see how long the set-piece craze lasts, but we must be prepared for a change in direction. So we absolutely must not lose our identity and football philosophy."

Hürzeler often speaks of "challenging the existing order," which refers to confronting traditional giants. Brighton & Hove Albion is about to break a long-standing curse: smaller clubs competing in European competitions often see their league performance suffer. In the 2023-24 season under De Zerbi, Brighton & Hove Albion reached the UEFA Europa League round of 16, but their league ranking dropped from sixth to eleventh.

"I've seen the relevant statistics, but I don't believe in them blindly," Hürzeler said. "This is our challenge for the season: maintaining consistency throughout. If we can perform consistently, we can overturn this so-called pattern."

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