Catching up with Fabian Hurzeler

The head coach covered a range of topics, including meeting Alastair Campbell, when he spoke after Saturday's open training session at the Amex.

2026-04-06T06:00+01:00

Fabian Hurzeler speaks to the fans who attended Saturday's open training session at the Amex. 📷James Boardman.

We caught up with head coach Fabian Hurzeler after Saturday's open training session at the Amex and he talked about a range of topics.

How have you spent the last international break of the season?

We have tried to reflect the season so far, to re-analyse it, to get an understanding of what made us successful and where we have to improve things. Then we gave the players some days off, and then we came back and tried to use the last few days quite effectively on the training pitch.

Two more Albion players have reached the World Cup finals. A proud moment for them and the club…

We are pleased for Ferdi Kadioglu and Yasin Ayari and all of our players who represented their countries. Kaoru Mitoma scored a nice goal for Japan at Wembley, although I know not everyone might like this goal here in England!

But I think all the players who were away for the national teams had a great impact. I think Kaoru was a prime example. He played a really good game. He was always dangerous in transition moments. He created a lot of danger by his individual dribbling against England.

We went through all the actions of the players and it was just great to watch how impactful their performances were. Pascal Gross with his assist, Yasin with his unbelievable assist, and Yankuba Minteh also had a great impact in his game.

I always try to stay in touch with them and to give them the support from here and I was really happy to see how them performing.

Pascal Gross, who made two appearances for Germany in the recent interational break, shares a selfie with a fan on the pitch at Saturday's open training. 📷James Boardman

England’s struggles in attack made it a good week for Danny Welbeck as well…

Definitely. It would be nice to see him in the English national team. I think that he definitely deserves it. It is not only about scoring goals. In the end, the statistics speak for themselves.

But on the other side, it's also about connecting besides the pitch, about bringing a group together. And I think especially in a World Cup that is very important. I think he's a great connecter That's not just a skill, that's a talent you have inside of your personality and he has it. There are a lot of advantages of taking him to the World Cup but, in the end, it's not my decision.

Have you spoken to Thomas Tuchel?

I'm definitely in touch with him but, for me, it was just in general how the games were, how he saw Jason Steele. I think it's always important how our players represent Brighton on the pitch but also beside the pitch.

It's not always about performing, but it's also about showing the right values.

How is Jack Hinshelwood?

He had a small issue with his knee and we and England U21s didn’t want to risk anything.

We saw him on Saturday on the pitch training well, so he will be available for the next game.

Do you have the options to make changes in the coming weeks?

Yes, 100%, and I think we have a strong squad. We will have options to replace Lewis Dunk (who is suspended for the next two games).

I think that's also a strength of this team to always be able to react to these kinds of things, to always replace a player if you need to replace a player.

To replace them not one to one, to replace them as a team, and that's what we will do in the next weeks.

We will find solutions. We won't complain and then we try to keep the positivity, to keep the momentum, to do the basic things right.

You met a famous Burnley fan last week didn’t you?

Yes, Alastair Campbell.A great person to speak to and he's a big Burnley fan, so we talked about this.

Meet my new 🇩🇪 teacher - absolute pleasure to speak at Football Beyond Borders with Fabian Hurzeler, and if you look over my left shoulder my other new 🇩🇪 teacher Oliver Glasner. Die beide sind sehr beeindruckende Menschen! pic.twitter.com/smz7y0O1Bb
— ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) March 30, 2026

What was impressive was that he learned German during Covid and his German was quite good.

It really impressed me that you can learn a language in that short period.

That is something I always try to do, to learn other languages, to get in touch with the players in their home language.

I think it's also important to build a connection. And then, of course, he has an unbelievable knowledge of politics and it was just nice to talk to him about several things going on in the world because I'm also interested in politics.

I'm interested in different dynamics that are going on in the world - why things happen, what are the consequences? What are the solutions? I always ask, what is the solution? It was great to have him sitting beside me, having some chats and I learned now that he has one of the biggest podcasts (The Rest is Politics) in the UK which I have listened to.

Is politics something you see yourself getting involved in?

He said to me after this conversation that I should get involved in it because I always share my opinion.

But, overall, I think it's important to stay with the base, to stay where I feel myself, the most comfortable and that, in the end, is football where I can have the biggest impact.

But for me it's also important to know that we have a privileged place as managers and we have a voice, so I think we can use our voice in the public to share the right things.