When Brighton & Hove Albion lost at home to Crystal Palace in February, Fabian Hurzeler was booed by his own supporters and serenaded with chants of "you're getting sacked in the morning." The Seagulls sat 14th in the Premier League table, one win in 12 matches, and the pressure was mounting fast.

"There are only two options," Hurzeler said after that 1-0 defeat. "Give up or keep pushing harder, and that's always the option I choose in my life."

Eight months later, those words ring prophetic. Brighton are third in the Premier League, having beaten defending champions Arsenal and Europa League winners Aston Villa in statement victories. The same fans who once demanded his dismissal are now worried he might be lured away by a bigger club.

The youngest manager in Premier League history

Hurzeler was appointed Brighton's permanent manager in June 2024 at 31 years old — the youngest permanent appointment in Premier League history. In 18 top-flight matches this season, he has claimed 11 wins, propelled the club back into European competition, and earned reported interest from Manchester United.

Former Brighton striker Glenn Murray told BBC Sport that Hurzeler's response to adversity revealed the measure of the man. "You learn more about yourself and the people around you when you are losing games," Murray said. "Hurzeler has come out the other side and the way he has got this group of players performing is exceptional."

Scott McCarthy, from fan site We Are Brighton, recalled how bleak the mood was at one stage last season. "He looked like a manager who was out of ideas," McCarthy told BBC Sport. "Leaving the stadium after losing at home to Palace, the only conversation fans were having was: 'he has got to go.' It's totally different now. It's worked out phenomenally."

From art dealer to the Premier League

Hurzeler's journey to the top of English football is unlike almost any other. Born in Houston, Texas, he moved to Germany at the age of two. After spells in the reserve teams at Bayern Munich, Hoffenheim, and 1860 Munich, injuries forced him to give up playing professionally in 2016 at 23. He accepted a player-manager role at Pipinsried, a club in Germany's fifth tier roughly 30 miles from Munich.

To supplement his income at the small village club, Hurzeler worked for an art dealer, selling paintings to wealthy Bavarians — until he was fired for spending too much time watching football matches.

In a 2024 interview with the Guardian, Hurzeler drew a direct line between that experience and his coaching philosophy. "If you want to sell something to a person, you have to try to convince them," he said. "You have to understand the needs and wishes from the clients. That's a little bit similar to being a coach. The most important thing is to understand the person behind the player."

Learning from the best

His hunger to improve has taken him to some of European football's most celebrated training grounds. While managing St Pauli — whom he guided back to the Bundesliga after a 13-year absence — he visited Tottenham's training ground to observe Ange Postecoglou's methods, asking so many questions that Postecoglou had to call in another coach to assist. He also gleaned ideas from Roberto de Zerbi at Brighton, months before replacing him in the Amex Stadium dugout.

The journey has not been smooth. Brighton were thrashed 7-0 at Nottingham Forest in his debut season, and former Arsenal and England defender Martin Keown publicly labelled him "wet behind the ears" on the BBC's Final Score programme following a 4-2 defeat at Chelsea in September 2024.

A return to basics

McCarthy attributes the turnaround to a moment of self-awareness from the manager. "He relied on an experienced core in the side to get out of the hole, which is testament to him because it shows his pragmatic side," McCarthy said. "Hurzeler realised what he was doing was not working and tried something else. You can now see this is a team more in his image, because they press insanely."

Hurzeler was rewarded with a new long-term contract before the end of last season and handed approximately £150 million to spend on summer signings. Despite the speculation linking him with elite clubs, McCarthy believes he will stay. "He is a very intelligent guy. He didn't become a Premier League manager at the age of 31 without having his head screwed on. What has happened at Brighton has shown he needs two-and-a-half years to build a squad."

Back in Pipinsried, his name remains legendary. "Yes, he does enjoy coming back every now and then — to see if everything's in order," Sepp Ankner, the club's chief finance officer, told The Athletic in 2024. "When he does, he talks to everybody. He's really retained that connection with Pipinsried."

Crystal Palace visit the Amex Stadium on Sunday, offering Hurzeler the chance to face the club whose visit nine months ago nearly ended his tenure — and to show just how far he and Brighton have come.