31-year-old head coach
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Five points ahead of Fortuna Düsseldorf and 11 points ahead of local rivals Hamburger SV, 31-year-old head coach Fabian Hürzeler is about to lift FC St. Pauli back to the Bundesliga. Indeed, St. Pauli could pretty much wrap up promotion with back-to-back wins over rivals Hansa Rostock (Apr. 26) and then in the Stadtderby against Hamburg (May 3). Before those two big games, Transfermarkt was able to catch up with Hürzeler as part of a roundtable to discuss St. Pauli’s path back to the Bundesliga, what it means for the city of Hamburg, and what it is like to be compared to Julian Nagelsmann.
“We are not done yet,” Hürzeler said. “That’s always important to say.” That is undoubtedly true. Even if Hürzeler’s team beats Hansa and HSV, the club will only have secured automatic promotion if Düsseldorf drop points simultaneously. It is, therefore, prudent to be cautious. That doesn’t mean Hürzeler hasn’t noticed the euphoria that has captured the city of Hamburg. “You feel that there is something in the air and that we can reach something special.
It has been a long time coming. St. Pauli were last in the Bundesliga during the 2010/11 season, and the city of Hamburg hasn’t had a club in the first division since HSV were relegated in 2018. In other words, Germany’s second-largest city has been without a first-division club for five years. For St. Pauli, it could be, in particular, historic as they could reach promotion against their biggest rivals, HSV in two weeks’ time. In fact, a St. Pauli win in the Stadtderby would also eliminate HSV from promotion. “I think that would be a great feeling,” Hürzeler said. “But honestly, we must focus on our way to you. The whole season, we tried to focus on our process and not on the results of HSV.”
Fabian Hürzeler: In Nagelsmann’s footsteps – Youngest coach in top 5 leagues?
Going up while HSV miss out will be a special moment for St. Pauli supporters. It will also be a special moment for Hürzeler. As things stand right now, the 31-year-old would be the youngest head coach in any of Europe’s top five leagues. The youngest coach across the top five leagues is Werder Bremen boss Ole Werner (35; overview). In the Premier League, Burnley manager Vincent Kompany (38) is the youngest manager. In Serie A, Daniele de Rossi (Roma) and Raffaele Palladino (Monza) are both 40. In LaLiga, Claudio Giráldez (Celta de Vigo) and Iñigo Pérez (Rayo Vallecano) are both 36. Finally, in Ligue 1, Will Still (Stade Reims), like Hürzeler is also 31. But while Hürzeler won’t turn 32 until next February, Still will turn 32 this October.
Hürzeler will, however, not break the record set by Nagelsmann for the youngest ever coach in Bundesliga history. The former Bayern Munich head coach and now German national team boss was only 28 when he was made the permanent head coach of Hoffenheim in Feb. 2016. Bernd Stöger was technically younger at just 24 but was only in charge of one game on an interim basis. Hürzeler was only 29 and the fifth youngest head coach in 2. Bundesliga history when he took charge of St. Pauli in January 2023, and it is, therefore, not surprising that there have already been comparisons to Nagelsmann.
“It wouldn’t be fair to him because he is an amazing coach,” Hürzeler said when asked about the comparisons with Nagelsmann. “Of course, I always hear those comparisons with Julian Nagelsmann. But like I said, I must stay humble and walk my own way. I can’t do it the same way because that is the Julian Nagelsmann way, and I try to go the Fabian Hürzeler way.”
Fabian Hürzeler: Bayern taught me to play “dominant”
But what kind of style of football does Hürzeler play? Here the St. Pauli boss is greatly influenced by his time at the Bayern Munich academy. “You not only have to be successful but also play a nice style of football,” Hürzeler said. “That’s what created my personality and my thinking of the style I want to play and having to deal with pressure. Deep in my heart and DNA, I want to have the ball and dominate the game.”
Playing that style of football, however, is much easier with Bayern than, let’s say, with St. Pauli in the 2. Bundesliga. “It is more about long balls, and set pieces are more important,” Hürzeler said. “You have to defend more as a team because if you only attack and dominate the game, the other teams are too good for that. I learned that you need to find a good balance between the stability when you work against the ball and to create chances with the ball.” That balance will be even more critical in the Bundesliga next season. But Hürzeler has demonstrated this year that he quickly adapts to new challenges, becoming one of the hottest coaching properties in European football.
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