Fabian Hurzeler, Bayer Leverkusen links and what comes next for Brighton’s head coach? | OneFootball

Fabian Hurzeler could find himself in demand this summer, with Bayer Leverkusen tracking Brighton & Hove Albion’s head coach as they plan to replace Kasper Hjulmand at season’s end, a role he took after Erik ten Hag was sacked following two league games. It is not the first time the former St Pauli coach has been on their list.

“I have a great board behind me, great staff members behind me. I have, with the owner Tony Bloom and CEO Paul Barber, people who have supported me through the whole season,” he told The Athletic after the 2-1 win over Liverpool.

Leverkusen, Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal winners in 2023-24 under Xabi Alonso, reached the Champions League last 16 under Hjulmand before a 3-1 aggregate defeat by Arsenal. They are sixth and face Bayern Munich in a DFB-Pokal semi-final in just over three weeks.

Brighton’s trajectory has been volatile. From fifth in late November, one league win in 13 dropped them to 14th in February, before four victories in five lifted them to 10th. Some supporters called for his dismissal after a home defeat by Crystal Palace in early February.

Hurzeler is contracted until June 2027 and there has been no sign of a new deal. Brighton, under owner-chairman Tony Bloom and chief executive Paul Barber, keep succession planning private, with season-end decisions on Chris Hughton in 2019 and Roberto De Zerbi in 2024 made by March.

Leverkusen could again offer European football, while Brighton may miss out, so the landscape has shifted since Hurzeler resisted interest last year after finishing eighth in his first season. The likeliest outcome remains that he stays, but opportunities could pose a dilemma for the 33-year-old.

Source: NY Times