When Hürzeler took over as Brighton manager, his goal was to "challenge the established order." Two years on, has he succeeded?

"We managed it last season, perhaps not consistently throughout, but we delivered excellent performances on many occasions," he said. Brighton will compete in Europe for only the second time in the club's history.

Victories over Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool, criticism of Arsenal's playing style under Arteta, confrontations with Guardiola and repeated touchline bans – few would question Hürzeler's impact during his two seasons managing Brighton in the Premier League.

The 33-year-old coach's commitment on the sideline has become synonymous with his intense playing style, helping the team finish eighth for two consecutive seasons.

This has brought him challenges as well, but that is nothing new. During his time at Saint-Gilloise, he accumulated seven yellow cards before February.

"That won't change, absolutely not," he said. "I want to win. I want to bring trophies to Brighton, and I want to do something special with our fans."

The UEFA Conference League, beginning next month, offers Brighton another chance to convert their recent progress into silverware. They saw their cross-town rivals Crystal Palace lift a trophy in May, but for Hürzeler, the challenge is not merely to match competitors but to prove Brighton can compete across multiple fronts.

"We have high expectations of ourselves," he said. "We want to play in a season our fans will never forget, but as a club we must see that we have the capability to compete successfully over many matches."

"We've spoken about moving forward and developing the club continuously, so now we must prove we can succeed and deliver results without losing our style and intensity," he said.

After a busy summer, Brighton welcomed 11 new players, while key departures including Baleba, Van Hecke, Welbeck and Milner moved on. Hürzeler now manages the fourth-youngest squad in the Premier League.

The team has changed, but Hürzeler believes his age helps him extract the squad's maximum potential.

"I want to be myself. I don't want to play a different role, and my age certainly helps me understand the players," he said.

"I always say I speak the same language as them. I understand what they're thinking, because it wasn't long ago that I was playing," he said. "I didn't play at their level, but I understand the feelings, the thoughts, and perhaps the doubts, fears and emotions that every player has."

This understanding is crucial, as Brighton continues to bring in promising young talent. Centre-back Luca Vucovič has proven Brighton's £50 million investment from Tottenham Hotspur was astute. Hürzeler believes the club's recruitment model continues to work, and he is confident his coaching staff can unlock these players' potential.

In Brighton's first three Premier League matches this season, they recorded one win, one draw and one defeat, creating 15 chances and posting an Expected Goals (xG) figure of 7.4—the highest among all teams. Only Arsenal (24 goals conceded) and Manchester City (26 goals conceded) have conceded fewer than Brighton's 33.

"It's now our responsibility to truly integrate these new players into the team," he said. "They're here for a reason, and we've proven in the past that we have one of the world's best recruitment systems, so they have potential and they will show it."

Hürzeler was a surprising choice to replace De Zerbi, but after two seasons in charge, he is no longer an unfamiliar name as he was upon arrival.

The Premier League has shaped him, both through encounters with world-class coaches and enduring the pressures of a grueling season, yet when things go wrong, Hürzeler looks inward first.

"I can say I'm a much better coach now than before, but not just because I review my mistakes. I also review my decisions, progress and growth," he said. "I have an excellent team around me, outstanding experts. Every member of the team supports me greatly, and my staff supports me greatly. They're all exceptional people."

This approach was tested mid-season when Brighton won just one of 13 league matches. Hürzeler did not deflect blame.

"I don't go home and blame others," he said. "If we lose, that's my responsibility. I review my decisions, I review how I organized the week's training, so I try to improve after every match. That's how I work."

He explained that Brighton ultimately turned things around by focusing on what they could control rather than becoming fixated on results. They maintained confidence and demanded greater consistency from players on the pitch.

This lesson is simple but vital for a team seeking to challenge the Premier League's established order.

"In the Premier League, you must have consistency; in the Premier League, you must perform excellently in small matches," Hürzeler said.

Hürzeler has backed the stability at Brighton. In May, he signed a new three-year contract. What drove this decision was not merely an assessment of the club's future, but his relationship with the club as well.

"I see my future here. That's why I extended, because when I first arrived, I felt like I was joining a family," he said. "You don't leave a family. You want to do something with your family. You want to take a step forward. You want the club to grow, so I wanted to be part of that."

He believes the next step remains within reach.

"I still feel this journey isn't finished. I still feel we're in the middle of our journey, and we can achieve great things," he said. "I have that belief, and now we must prove it."

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