Brighton’s ‘humble’ Hurzeler makes instant impact as Premier League’s youngest boss

Everton manager Sean Dyche reacts as Brighton & Hove Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler looks on during their Premier League match at Goodison Park, Liverpool, on Aug.17, 2024. (Reuters)
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Updated 17 August 2024
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Brighton’s ‘humble’ Hurzeler makes instant impact as Premier League’s youngest boss

  • Aged 31 years and 173 days, Hurzeler is the youngest permanent boss in Premier League history following his arrival from St. Pauli
  • The German is the first manager to be born after the Premier League started in 1992 and is seven years younger than Brighton midfielder James Milner

LIVERPOOL: Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler insisted he would stay “humble” after the Premier League’s youngest manager marked his debut with a 3-0 victory at Everton on Saturday.
Aged 31 years and 173 days, Hurzeler is the youngest permanent boss in Premier League history following his arrival from St. Pauli to replace Roberto De Zerbi in the close-season.
The German is the first manager to be born after the Premier League started in 1992 and is seven years younger than Brighton midfielder James Milner.
Despite his tender years in comparison to his Premier League peers, Hurzeler made a flying start as 10-man Everton were brushed aside at Goodison Park.
Goals from Kaoru Mitoma, Danny Welbeck and Simon Adingra fired Brighton, while Everton were hampered by Ashley Young’s red card.
“I’m very happy, it’s a good start but nothing more and it’s important to stay humble after this,” Hurzeler said.
“It’s a very good feeling but I don’t want to talk about myself, the players deserved this. They worked hard in pre-season and I’m very proud of them.”
Hurzeler became the youngest head coach in the German second tier when he was hired by St. Pauli aged 29 in December 2022.
He hauled the club away from the relegation zone and led them to promotion to the Bundesliga last season, catching the eye of Brighton owner Tony Bloom in the process.
Texas-born Hurzeler holds German, Swiss and American citizenship, but he already appears at home with the club from England’s south-coast.
“It was a good result, very intense. In some moments we suffered but after a time we tried to control the game, had good chances, then went 1-0 up,” Hurzeler said.
“In the end the clean sheet was important and we showed attitude and character.”
Hurzeler’s biggest issue was handling the disappointment of new signing Yankuba Minteh, who was causing Everton problems before a head injury forced him off in the first half against his wishes.
“He was disappointed but in the end we are disappointed for the player and can’t take any risks, the health of the player is more important and we were responsible for that,” the Seagulls boss said.
“We have to keep looking at him and how he reacts. I am confident he will be back next week. He had a great impact but I judge my offensive players on how they work off the ball.”


Lola Yamaha ABT look for pace and points under the lights in Jeddah

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Lola Yamaha ABT look for pace and points under the lights in Jeddah

  • After missing points in Miami, team hope for better showing
  • Working hard, say drivers Zane Maloney and Lucas di Grassi

JEDDAH: Lola Yamaha ABT are returning to race under the lights of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, where they are hoping to add to their points tally for season 12 of the Formula E World Championship this Friday and Saturday.

Situated alongside the Red Sea, the 19-turn, 3-km track features a long start and finish straight, technical chicanes and sweeping turns. The Saudi Arabian doubleheader will once again be at night.

And also host the first pit-boost race of season 12 where very driver must complete a 30-second, 600-kilowatt boost in the pitlane, giving an extra 10 percent of energy.

Last time in Miami, the team showed good pace throughout the weekend where they narrowly missed out on points, with Zane Maloney finishing 11th and Lucas di Grassi 13th, but they are hopeful for Jeddah.

“After a generally positive race in Miami, where we were much more competitive, I’m looking forward to taking to the track again in Jeddah,” di Grassi said.

“Racing at night always presents different challenges, with changes in temperature and lighting.

“With not much time between these races, we’ve been putting in the hours in the sim (simulator) to ensure we are as prepared as possible to maximize on the improvements seen last time out.”

Maloney said: “Although we narrowly missed out on points in Miami, it was a positive weekend for the team with good pace that shows we are moving in the right direction.

“Jeddah is a fast, technical circuit, which will test the team in different ways, particularly with the addition of the first pit boost of the season. However, we’ve been working hard in the short race gap and I’m confident we can be in the mix to score points this weekend.”

“We saw positive steps forward with organization and processes behind the scenes in Miami and this showed with good race pace which we are hoping to translate to points here in Jeddah,” said Mark Preston, team principal of Lola Yamaha ABT.