The new Brighton manager has revealed he spoke to the former Liverpool boss about managing in the Premier League, but dismissed comparisons between the two
Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Fabian Hurzeler is not having comparisons between himself and former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. One similarity aside.
Hurzeler has impressed since taking over at Brighton from Roberto De Zerbi. At just 31 years old, the German is the youngest manager in Premier League history but has had no issues adapting to English football, with his team taking 19 points from 10 games and surging to sixth in the standings.
Before the international break Hurzeler earned his biggest scalp as a manager so far, as the Seagulls beat Manchester City 2-1. It was a win that helped the Reds too, as they sit five points clear of the champions at the top of the table before the upcoming round of fixtures.
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Hurzeler’s potential has certainly created buzz and there have been some comparisons between his journey in coaching and that of Klopp’s.
Speaking to BILD (h/t Sport Witness), the Brighton boss said it was too early to make those claims, although did note one thing that linked him with his compatriot.
‘In England I’m already being compared to Jurgen – which we can leave alone because he was much more successful and had a unique career,’ he said. ‘The only comparison that fits is that we both had our hair enhanced a bit!’
Klopp left Liverpool at the end of the previous season after a stellar nine-year stint on Merseyside, winning the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and two League Cups.
While he was not ready to put himself in the same bracket as the former Liverpool manager yet, Hurzeler did confirm that he had spoke to Klopp about managing at the highest level.
“For me, Jurgen is the best coach when it comes to creating an identity for a club and all employees,” he said. “He described to me how consistently he acted and also made tough decisions – that was very revealing.”
