Fabian Hurzeler vows to fight on at Brighton after defeat to Crystal Palace

Fabian Hurzeler insisted he will not walk away from the most difficult spell of his coaching career after sections of Brighton supporters voiced their anger during Sunday’s 1-0 Premier League home defeat to fierce rivals Crystal Palace.

The Brighton head coach came under heavy fire at the Amex Stadium, with chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing” and “you’re getting sacked in the morning” ringing out as the Seagulls fell to another damaging loss.

Once again, Ismaila Sarr proved to be Palace’s tormentor, netting the decisive goal in the 61st minute, having also scored twice in the Eagles’ 3-1 derby victory on the south coast last season.

The win lifted Palace above Brighton into 13th place and ended a 13-game winless run in all competitions stretching back to December 11.

Speaking after the game, Hurzeler chose to focus on resilience rather than emotion.

“Now is not the moment to talk about my personal feelings,” said the former St Pauli boss. “Everyone can imagine what it’s like when 25,000 people are singing about you and demanding change.

“It’s not an easy situation, but there are only two choices: give up or work even harder. And throughout my life, I’ve always chosen to keep going.

“That’s why I’m here today. I never give up, and that’s what I’ll continue to do.

“This is the toughest moment of my managerial career, but it’s also the moment where I can learn the most and grow the most. I will face this challenge and I will come through it.”

Brighton, who would have moved into the top half of the table with a victory, have now managed just one win from their last 12 Premier League matches.

Supporters’ frustration became more vocal in the 71st minute when Hurzeler made a triple substitution, withdrawing Maxim De Cuyper, Carlos Baleba and Harry Howell for Diego Gomez, Yankuba Minteh and Danny Welbeck.

As Brighton continued to struggle creatively, the jeers intensified and reached their peak at full-time, with some fans calling for the 32-year-old to be sacked.

“I always promise to give my heart and my soul to this club, and I will keep doing that,” Hurzeler added. “It’s not easy to take, but I will accept the criticism.

“If the fans want to direct the blame at me, that’s fine, because ultimately I am responsible — as long as they continue to support the team.”

For Palace, the result marked their first Premier League victory in 10 matches, dating back to a 2-1 win at Fulham on December 7.

Eagles boss Oliver Glasner, who celebrated in front of the away supporters at the final whistle, praised the bond between his players and the fans.

“All I can say is thank you to our supporters,” Glasner said. “They’ve had plenty of reasons to boo us over the past few months, but they never did. That shows the connection we’ve built over the last two years.

“Yes, there was disappointment — from them and from us — but they always stayed with us. What we saw at the end today, between the players and the fans, is something you can’t buy. These emotions, this feeling after a win, are what make football special.

“We haven’t delivered over the last couple of months, but today they’re just happy. The journey home on the M23 will be a joyful one — maybe with a stop or two for a Guinness.

“Most of them will be back at work tomorrow, but Monday morning feels a lot better after a win — especially away at Brighton. That’s why the emotions at the end were so powerful.”