Tony Bloom Backs Fabian Hurzeler After Brighton Turnaround
Comments from Tony Bloom on Fabian Hurzeler, reported by The Argus, explain how the young head coach turned Brighton’s season around.
Bloom appointed Hurzeler as the Albion’s youngest ever head coach back in 2024, and he backed the German from his earliest weeks in the job.
That patience was tested in February. A home defeat to Crystal Palace led some supporters to call for Hurzeler’s sacking, but Bloom held his nerve throughout. The results that followed have since proved the chairman right.
Chairman Details Process Focus and Internal Support at Amex Stadium
The Tony Bloom Fabian Hurzeler relationship stayed firm through the toughest weeks, even as pressure built among supporters at the Amex. Asked to explain the turnaround, Bloom pointed straight at Hurzeler’s mentality.
“I think it’s the confidence he had in himself and his processes, and the confidence myself and Paul (Barber, chief executive) and others at the club had in him,” he said. “And it’s about not getting overly fazed.”
Bloom also credited senior figures in the dressing room for steadying things during the difficult run.
“Working with senior players would have helped and just focussing on training, performances, processes,” he explained.
Asked whether he had increased his contact with Hurzeler during the toughest weeks, Bloom said his own approach stayed the same.
“Similar amounts, but he knew that I was supportive and I was there to advise him, assist in anything that he may have needed,” Bloom said. “He’s confident in what he’s doing, and he knew that myself and Paul were there whenever he needed us.”
Villa Defeat and Brentford Victory Set Path to Third Spot
Bloom then walked through the run of matches that changed the mood around Hurzeler.
“The game after that, we lost away at Villa but we played really well,” he said. “Then we had a tough game away at Liverpool and then we finally won a game at Brentford and, from then to the end of the season, we had a really good run.”
That run has carried into the new campaign. The Albion currently sit third in the early Premier League table, a position few outside the club expected after the wobble in February. Bloom’s words suggests the improvement in performances arrived before the results did, with the defeat at Villa the moment Hurzeler’s approach began to click, well before it showed up in the league standings.
Future Planning and Squad Ahead of Upcoming Fixtures
Bloom also addressed wider interest in Hurzeler’s progress, given his growing reputation across the Premier League.
“I never worry about losing anyone at the football club,” he said. “I know these things will change over time, but we’re prepared for any eventuality.”
That calm extends to the squad as well. For his assessment of the squad strength, Bloom has pointed to depth across almost every position, a factor that should help the Albion through a congested fixture list. The chairman has also spoken about European ambitions this season, with Brighton juggling their conference league campaign alongside a push up the Premier League table.
Attention now turns to the next set of fixtures, including preparations ahead of the Amex clash, as Hurzeler looks to build on the momentum his chairman credits him with creating.
