Hurzeler demands 'dirty atmosphere' as Brighton host Kauno Zalgiris in Conference League bow
Hurzeler demands 'dirty atmosphere' as Brighton host Kauno Zalgiris in Conference League bow
Fabian Hurzeler has told Brighton & Hove Albion's supporters to turn the Amex into a fortress and conjure a "dirty atmosphere" when the Seagulls open their Conference League campaign against Kauno Zalgiris on Thursday.
The German coach made clear he does not want Brighton to be remembered as a "nice" club, and believes only a ruthless, uncompromising edge will deliver the silverware the club has publicly targeted this season.
"I use this word, this dirty club or this dirty atmosphere – that's a little bit of what I meant by this phrase," said Hurzeler. "It's like, keep building this fortress at home. Like, together with the fans, creating a loud, energetic atmosphere where they are our 12th player, and I think that's just an example for being not nice.
"Of course, we are known for being a well-structured club or having one of the best recruitments in the world, but these kinds of things don't help you to win anything. I think we need to have this mindset of, 'Focus on us, believe in our quality, believe that we can compete with every team, but with 'nice', you win nothing'.
"We are also not nice in personal duels. We want to be ruthless in personal duels. We want to create this energetic atmosphere, where it makes it so hard to come to this place. I think we made great progress, the last months. Great progress, the last year, and we have to keep building this together with our fans to be not the nice football club anymore."
European return built on defensive steel
Brighton head into their European opener riding the momentum of an excellent start to the domestic season, sitting third in the Premier League after six games. They now want to translate that form onto the continental stage.
The Seagulls are competing in a major European competition for only the second time in their history. Their sole previous venture came in the 2023-24 Europa League, where they reached the last 16 before being knocked out by Roma, losing 4-1 on aggregate.
Defensively, Hurzeler's side have been formidable on the continent: Brighton have kept a clean sheet in each of their previous five wins in major European competitions, with each of their last three such victories coming via 1-0 scorelines. That resilient, narrow-margin mentality is precisely the foundation the head coach wants the home crowd to amplify.
With the club having previously stated its ambition to win silverware this term, Hurzeler is convinced that trophy can only be lifted if Brighton embrace a tougher, more unforgiving identity in front of their own supporters.