Beijing Time (UTC+8) September 17 – In an exciting League Cup third-round match, Brighton & Hove Albion came from 2-0 down away at Manchester United to win 3-2 and eliminate them from the competition. At the post-match press conference, Brighton & Hove Albion manager Fabian Hürzeler particularly praised the team's cohesion and belief.

That was an incredible comeback. Did you always believe the team could pull it off?

„Yes, absolutely. I think this belief is the greatest reward for our preparation. When you come to a place like this, an away match against a team like Manchester United, you have to maintain belief. You must have confidence in every phase of the game. And to show that belief even when down 2-0 shows true resilience and that we are genuinely closely connected."

„There's a strong social bond between the players; they can really trust each other and rely on one another, and that's something you don't necessarily see on television. We always focus on goals, chances, and tactics, but ultimately the foundation and key to this victory is exactly this cohesion, this connection, and the relationships they've built on the pitch. I think as the game progressed, we integrated deeper into it and gradually took control of the situation. In the end, I think it was a deserved victory."

You have an excellent record here – does that influence the players' mentality?

„I'm not sure how many players on the pitch today experienced those previous victories. We have many new faces today. But what we've always emphasized is that as long as we play at our level and maintain high standards, we can compete with any team in the league. That's our mentality, how we approach matches, and the message we want to convey to the players."

This is a new team, and previously against Chelsea you quickly fell 3-0 behind, but this time when you went down, you quickly led the team back to victory. How have you built this cohesion and resilience?

„That always comes down to the players – I have to give them huge credit. Ultimately, I call them 'social leaders,' like Jason Steele, Pascal Groß, Lewis Dunk, and others. Social leaders are very important to me because they can quickly integrate new players and help them understand Brighton & Hove Albion's values. They also build real connections between players of different nationalities. I think that's incredibly important – it's work that can't be quantified, but for me it's crucial."

„This is our foundation, which allows us to build this trust and reliability on the pitch. Having these social leaders who understand different dynamics and can bring everyone together is absolutely critical, and we must not underestimate it, because that will always be our cornerstone."

Have you seen the draw? Your difficult fixture list continues.

„We accept it. I'm not here to complain. We want to go as far as possible and we'll see who we face next. Ultimately, if you want to win titles, you have to give your best in every match. Maybe we'll go back to Manchester, maybe not – we'll see. But overall, we should focus on the Arsenal match now. We need to recover well, and then we have another home game where we hope to deliver an energetic and intense performance in front of our home fans."

Speaking of Arsenal – you mentioned belief earlier. Before this match, you must have felt the team was unstoppable, right?

„No, I think we need to remain very, very humble now and understand why we've reached this point. It's about doing the fundamental work, getting every small detail right. That's why we must always keep that in mind – stay humble and not take anything for granted. When we take the pitch, we must understand: this is another big effort, it's about doing the fundamental work, and then we can gradually find our rhythm. Then we'll return to that belief – that we're a good team."

Saturday is a big day for the club as it celebrates its 125th anniversary. You haven't been at the club long, but given how frequently you win away at places like this, how do you see Brighton & Hove Albion's position in English and European football?

„We are a well-structured club. I want to emphasize that we're a club with very high expectations. We want to continue growing and consistently challenge the traditional powerhouses. For that, I think it's very important that we always focus on our daily work, because daily work creates habits, and habits create the stability that allows us to consistently challenge the big teams."

„I'm part of that and I feel very honored to be the manager of Brighton & Hove Albion. That's why I always try to do my best with my coaching staff and the players to make our fans proud. Because ultimately we all need each other to be successful, we all need to grow together. We want to proceed step by step, but we absolutely have a great culture, and our culture will always be our foundation."

Many midfielders were sold for high fees this summer, but how do you assess Pascal Groß's value? You mentioned his social contribution to the team, but what about from a playing perspective?

„I think he has excellent game understanding. I compare him to fine wine – the older the vintage, the better the taste. So Pascal deserves a lot of credit. One thing we shouldn't underestimate is that he runs every game, covering about 12 kilometers per match. With players like him, you can play high-intensity football."

„I think one of his strengths is certainly his work rate and deep game understanding, and he also has a winning mentality. Young players can benefit from that, and for me he's a great leader and it's really a pleasure to work with him."

May I ask about the atmosphere at Old Trafford in the last 20 or 30 minutes? As you said, your team gradually took control of the game, and perhaps we're used to Manchester United mounting a late charge in the final 10 minutes, but that didn't happen today. Do you think the tense atmosphere in the stadium helped your team?

„I didn't focus on the atmosphere in the stadium because that's something I can't control. For me, I really try to focus on what I can control. That's why in the final minutes we continued to press the opponent. We don't want to be a team that sits back; we want to control possession, we want to keep scoring and play high-intensity football."

„It proves that when you're in the lead especially, you shouldn't change your playing style. You should press the opponent, you should try to stick with your established tactical approach. Because if you try to change things in the final 5 or 10 minutes, you lose your connection on the pitch, and that's what we want to avoid."

Übersetzt von KI.

Die AF-Website ist jetzt online! Vollständige Nachrichten, Kommentare, Spieldetails und Statistiken auf dem Computer. Besuchen Sie: www.allfootballapp.com