FABIAN HURZELER is equally as comfortable discussing Picasso and pressing — although he has a clear preference.
The Brighton boss was once sacked as an art dealer for being too obsessed with football, the sort of dedication which has turned him into a groundbreaking coach.
You may have heard he is quite young, a fact he is constantly reminded of.
Advertisement
But despite being 31, the decision to end his playing career and start coaching at 23 means he already possesses bags of experience.
Hurzeler has been coaching as long as Mikel Arteta, 11 years his senior.
Although the Arsenal manager never had to flog art on the side to keep things going as Hurzeler did when in charge of fifth-tier FC Pipinsried in his first role as a coach.
He said: “Life in Munich is expensive, like in London. When I sold one picture or one painting in a month, it was like I was done so I could focus more during this time and watch a lot of football games during this time during my work.
Advertisement
“That was also the reason why I got fired. The owner, she was very polite but one day she recognised that I’m watching more football during work instead of really working because we weren’t selling any paintings any more. Then I got fired.”
Hurzeler got the job in the first place through friend Roman Plesche, a sports-science student who worked in the gallery.
Plesche, who would later be Hurzeler’s sporting director in his first post as a head coach, recalled: “I told the boss that my best friend speaks good English and can also sell.
“He had a very good feel for art, he knew how to inspire customers.
“We sold an Andy Warhol together. But I think football is better for him than art.”
Former Chelsea manager Potter weighs in on Postecoglou’s ‘shell-shocked’ interview after Brighton’s win over Spurs
Hurzeler has already enjoyed more than the 15 minutes of fame that Warhol talked about.
The German talks a lot about the work ethic his parents instilled in him.
Advertisement
But those values also gave him the confidence to end a playing career which had seen him as a young talent in the Bayern Munich academy.
His family were still taken aback at the decision, explaining: “Of course they were surprised. I always say, it’s my life and it’s a choice I make. I take responsibility for that.
“No one else will take responsibility for my life. It’s something I always try to follow. I have to feel happy with the situation.
“A lot of people don’t understand it and because they said I could easily play, maybe in second or third division.
Advertisement
“But they will never understand the feeling inside of me, what I really want to achieve in life, my vision in life.”
Family values and vision is something Hurzeler comes back to a lot over an hour chatting at Brighton’s Sussex base.
One of four siblings, born to two dentists in Texas before moving to Germany at the age of two, all of them have a fierce competitive streak.
The Seagulls boss already has one yellow and one red card for his touchline antics this season and knows that competitive edge can get the better of him, in a football game or even playing Uno or Catan at Christmas.
Advertisement
He said: “Honestly, when you talk to some guys who I played against, they would say, ‘What an a*******’.
“When we were on the pitch, it was like winning, winning, winning. And that’s the same, honestly, with my family.
“When I’m with my family, let’s say at Christmas and we played games and I lost the game, the night was over for me.
Advertisement
“We are all made of the same blood, so my sisters and brothers and also my father, when they lose, they were the same. That’s how I grew up, it was a competition all the time.”
The desire to compete now extends to the padel court with Hurzeler — like almost everyone in football — having become a huge fan of the sport.
He is now campaigning for a court to be built at the Brighton training ground. Those luxuries are a far cry from his start as a coach, with FC Pipinsried eight years ago.
There was a fast start, promotion to the fourth tier in his first season but then the tests arrived.
Advertisement
Losing the first seven games of the new term taught Hurzeler he must be able to adapt.
He has always wanted to control a game through possession and with a high line but never just for the sake of it.
Hurzeler added: “I had a good start in my career. We went from the fifth league to the fourth in the first year.
“But we started by losing the first seven games. I was sitting in a coffee shop and the media called and said, ‘Do you think if you lose the next game, then you’ll still be the coach or not?’ Then I was like, ‘OK, that’s the business’.”
Advertisement
There has been adapting to do in the Premier League too.
Not even a year ago, Hurzeler was touring English clubs, watching Brighton as well as visiting Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham to try to learn from their experiences.
But that only went so far in preparing him for the Prem, admitting: “I didn’t expect it to be this intense and this demanding.
Advertisement
“Every team in this league, also the teams who were promoted like Ipswich, they have individual quality in their team to win games.
“Then during the game, it’s so fascinating for me… that’s what I learned, you have to work hard for the momentum.
“When you have momentum, you have to use it, otherwise the other team will take it.”
The final match before the international break was a perfect demonstration of this.
Hurzeler said little at half-time, deciding not to go in all guns blazing and it paid off — coming from 2-0 down to beat Tottenham 3-2.
He said: “Football is crazy sometimes.”
For all the questions over his age, that calm approach after a rotten first half showcased the benefit. Few other managers will have such a keen understanding of their squad’s mindset.
Advertisement
Asked what the biggest advantage of being a young manager is, he said: “Speaking the language of the players.
“I’m their age, so we have the same needs. We are in the same situations. Maybe we lose a girlfriend. Maybe you experience the same things, you have a similar sense of humour.”
SAM GILLEY will put his Commonwealth title on the line against Jack McGann in London TONIGHT – with Jack McGann a late challenger
Gilley, 30, had been preparing to renew his bitter rivalry with Louis Greene.
But in devastating news for boxing fans, the Magic Man was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Advertisement
However, in steps Liverpool’s McGann who has been granted the opportunity to fight at the top of the bill after originally being scheduled to box Ryan Maycock.
McGann ironically bounced back from his defeat against Greene on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou with a TKO win vs Lukasz Barabasz in June.
But the champ Gilley will be eager to prove why he has been signed by Queensberry Promotions – Tyson Fury, Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley are also under contract with them just to name a few.
When is Sam Gilley vs Jack McGann?
Sam Gilley vs Jack McGann will take place on Friday, October 18.
The main card is expected to get underway from 7pm BST.
York Hall is the chosen venue for this Commonwealth title clash and it can host approximately 1,200 spectators.
What TV channel is Sam Gilley vs Jack McGann on can it be live streamed?
Sam Gilley vs Jack McGann will be broadcast LIVE on TNT Sports 3 in the UK.
TNT Sports customers can stream the entire action on discovery+ via a compatible mobile or tablet device.
Who is on the undercard?
Sam Gilley vs Jack McGann; Commonwealth and British Super Welterweight titles (MAIN EVENT)
Courtney Bennett vs Nick Webb; British Southern Area Heavyweight title
Anthony Hernandez has one goal in mind: Get his hands on the UFC middleweight title. The next step for the surging middleweight is a victory in his first promotional main event this weekend.
Hernandez faces Michel Pereira in the headliner of UFC Vegas 99 at the APEX this Saturday. “Fluffy” enters the bout on a five-fight win streak, and believes a victory will send a message to Dana White and company that he’s ready to fight the tippy-top guys at 185 pounds. Eventually, he’d like to make his way to a title fight with current champion Dricus du Plessis, not just for the chance to accomplish his goal, but because of the stylistic matchup it can produce for the fans.
“He mixes it up, you know what I mean,” Hernandez told MMA Fighting. He’s a big, strong motherf*cker but he mixes MMA up very well, and I think it would be a f*cking great fight with him. He’s a tough motherf*cker. He’s got a chin, he can hit. Like, he hits people and puts them to sleep. You know what I mean? It’s an exciting fight to me. That would be f*cking fun.
“And he’s just doing his thing, good on him. I’ll see you soon.”
Advertisement
After losing to Kevin Holland at UFC Jacksonville in May 2020, Hernandez has done nothing but win. But he also learned a valuable lesson in the loss to Holland in that he won’t compete unless he’s as close to 100-percent healthy.
The 30-year-old certainly feels as healthy as he’s ever been as he prepares to face Pereira, who is now 2-0 with a pair of quick finishes since making the move up to middleweight. To say Hernandez was excited to face somebody like Pereira would be a massive understatement.
“I’m like, ‘Oh, the f*cking wild guy, the guy who does backflips,” Hernandez said. “I really don’t watch f*cking fighting that much, but I know who he was because that motherf*cker, he’s dope to watch, I’m not gonna lie. He f*cking does backflips and shit. I’m like, ‘Bro, I can’t do none of that shit.’ Motherf*cker is like a f*cking freak athlete, all like backflips and like all that fancy shit.
“But now I’m f*cking stoked. This is one of those fights where I see Fight of the Night all over it because we’re both some tough motherf*ckers. We both can take a shot and we’re both f*cking pretty violent, you know what I mean? So I’m f*cking stoked for this fight. It’s going to be a f*cking big test and I’m looking forward to showing you guys how I do that shit.”
Advertisement
Hernandez is known for his finishing ability, a fan-friendly style, but also the incredible pace he puts on his opponents. He plans on doing the same thing to Pereira
“I think my style is perfect to beat him,” Hernandez explained. “I just have to have my hands up and not get caught with no crazy shit. I mean, he’s f*cking wild. He’s calmed down a lot… I’ve noticed he’s, he knocked the last two 185 [pounders] out with just straight rights.
“So yeah, I don’t plan on standing in front of him in the distance. I plan on fighting this motherf*cker and taking it to him. I know that he has like wild, f*cking crazy two rounds, but I’m in shape for 10 so I can keep that pace for all five.
“I hope he’s in shape, that’s all I’ve got to say.”
Southampton manager Russell Martin speaks to Football Focus’ Glenn Murray about his team’s struggles in the Premier League and why he’s continuing to stick to his principles.
Watch Football Focus, Saturdays, 12:00 BST on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app.
The former UFC heavyweight champion finally returns to MMA after almost over two and a half years away from the sport. Ngannou takes on PFL champion Renan Ferreira in the main event of PFL: Battle of the Giants this Saturday in Saudi Arabia, and plenty has happened (and not happened) in the heavyweight landscape.
Is Ngannou still considered the best heavyweight in MMA today? What can we expect from his return? Does Ferreira have a solid chance at pulling off the upset?
Advertisement
MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Matthew Wells, Danny Segura, and host Gorgeous George discuss Ngannou’s return at PFL: Battle of the Giants, along with other key bouts on the card, including Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco.
Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login