St. Pauli president Oke Göttlich has warned Brighton and Hove Albion manager Fabian Hürzeler he may have to get accustomed to losing in the Premier League.
Göttlich has been speaking on the Millerntalk podcast for Hamburger Abendblatt, relayed by ASB Zeitung, about his former manager.
Hürzeler made the move to Brighton earlier this summer to replace Robert de Zerbi, becoming the youngster manager in the Premier League at just 31-years-old.
The move comes after an impressive spell with St. Pauli during which he had guided them to the Bundesliga last season after only obtaining his UEFA Pro License a year ago.
He’s enjoyed a flying start to life in the Premier League, with his side running out 3-0 winners against Everton at Goodison Park on the opening day.
That result was very much a surprise, with many having predicted a tough learning period for Hürzeler given his relative lack of experience and the big jump up to the Premier League.
Tougher days are likely to be ahead for him and his Brighton team in the coming months, and Göttlich has warned his former coach to be prepared to taste defeat.
“In my opinion, Fabian Hürzeler, the new manager in the Premier League, still has some lessons to learn, despite his previous successes,” he said.
“He has a big hurdle to overcome. He may not like to hear it, but at some point, he will have to learn how to lose.
“I wish he had learned that with us in the first league. Learning to lose is one of the most pleasant experiences in the first Bundesliga.
“I’m very happy for him. We have developed a coach for a while whose voice will continue to resonate in Germany or England, especially now in England. It would have been advantageous for Hürzeler to experience this time at St. Pauli. I think his time at St. Pauli has prepared him well for the challenges he now faces in the Premier League.”
