Fabian Hurzeler says he wants to "challenge the establishment" as he outlined his vision for Brighton & Hove Albion in his first press conference as the club's new head coach.
The 31-year-old German believes the Seagulls can take on the Premier League's top clubs, following the sixth-place finish achieved under Roberto De Zerbi in 2022/23 that secured European football for the first time in the club's history.
"I think it's always important to have targets, to have a vision," said Hurzeler. "I want to discuss them with my players first because in the end the players have to be convinced of that. And I want to challenge the establishment."
Fabian's first day: ☑️ pic.twitter.com/tyXz7PO7So
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) July 3, 2024
Hurzeler, who is the youngest ever permanent manager of a Premier League club, isn't concerned that he will be leading a squad where six of his players are older than him.
"I call myself the 'friendly authority'. Football is my passion. And I try to convince the players by using the power of my ideas," Hurzeler said.
"I think I need a lot of courage and, of course, humility. I need to stay humble. I think these two values are very important."
Hurzeler has revealed he will take inspiration from both De Zerbi and Jurgen Klopp as he looks to create his own legacy at Brighton.
He was an admirer of De Zerbi before replacing the Italian in the dugout at Amex Stadium, while former Liverpool manager Klopp is among the countrymen whom Hurzeler views as role models.
“He (De Zerbi) brought a different style of football, so of course I take some elements but in the end I have my own philosophy because you can't copy anyone," Hurzeler added.
“His teams played with a lot of courage with some very interesting elements in terms of ball possession.
"All the German coaches are role models for young coaches in Germany. The intensity Jurgen Klopp’s team have is something special and I really like to have also intensity on the pitch.
"So, for me, it's like a mixture between ball possession and intensity against the ball. I think you need to have plans for both phases. You have a plan against the ball and you have a plan with the ball, and on top of that there's set-pieces."
Hurzeler has added three members of coaching staff to his backroom team, subject to successful work permit applications. Jonas Scheuermann will arrive as assistant head coach, while Marco Knoop will be goalkeeping coach and Max Lesser will be tactical analyst.
See: Who are Brighton's new members of staff?
Hurzeler's first match in charge of Brighton is a friendly against Kashima Antlers in Tokyo on 24 July during the club's pre-season tour of Japan.
See: Clubs' pre-season friendly matches
The Seagulls kick off their Premier League campaign with a trip to Everton on Saturday 17 August.
