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Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler faces his first managerial clash against Chelsea's Xabi Alonso in a hotly anticipated Premier League fixture this Sunday. The pair began their managerial journeys at similar times before the COVID-19 pandemic and made huge progress in Germany, but have not yet met in the dugouts before this weekend. Disciples of many great tacticians in their respective nations, Germany and Spain, Hürzeler and Alonso have the potential to be two of the Premier League’s most exciting coaches this season. As they look to back up encouraging wins in league and cup competitions so far, the pair should be in fine form at Stamford Bridge too. “A clear style of play” When Hürzeler took charge of St. Pauli in December 2022, Alonso was two months into his new role at Bayer Leverkusen. The pair were separated by a division - St. Pauli struggling near the foot of the 2. Bundesliga and Leverkusen seeking new momentum after just one win in their first eight Bundesliga games saw previous boss Gerardo Seoane axed. Their appointments were calculated risks; Hürzeler a 29-year-old with managerial experience only in the German fourth and fifth tiers, and Alonso, despite his global reputation, only having two years of experience with Real Sociedad B. The gambles paid off; St. Pauli won their first 10 games under Hürzeler and took 41 points from a possible 51 to finish 5th, while Leverkusen won their first five, and then went nine games unbeaten in the spring to secure Europa League football in 6th. Both teams then went on to win their respective divisions in 2023-24; St. Pauli winning the 2. Bundesliga for the first time in post-reunification Germany, and Leverkusen lifting their first-ever Bundesliga trophy. It was Alonso’s 49-game unbeaten run that season that grabbed global headlines, and Hürzeler confirmed that the Spaniard had a big impact on German football that season. “What he brought into the Bundesliga was a clear style of play,” said Hürzeler. “They dominated their opponents. I remember they had [Granit] Xhaka, who controlled the game. They had [Jonathan] Tah as a centre-back, who was very strong in holding the defence, very compact. “He had good individual players, but also a clear style of play. [It is] similar to what he tries, I think, to build now with Chelsea. “He had the unbeaten season, so that was just outstanding what he did there with Leverkusen. Therefore, of course, a lot of coaches followed him. A lot of coaches appreciate what he did for the Bundesliga, and that was something that brought a lot of attention to Germany. So I think everyone should be very grateful to him for doing these things.” “I see a lot of similarities” After Hürzeler left to join Brighton, Alonso committed to another season with Leverkusen. 2024-25 would be frustrating for the Spaniard, however, as his side were beaten to the Bundesliga title despite only losing three matches, were knocked out of the DFB-Pokal semi-finals by Arminia Bielefeld, exited the Champions League round of 16 to Bayern Munich and lost the DFL-Supercup on penalties to Stuttgart. A dream move to Real Madrid was equally heartbreaking for the ex-midfielder, with Champions League struggles, a Supercopa de España defeat to Barcelona and reported training ground feuds spelling a mid-January exit. Arriving at Chelsea this summer with intentions of replicating his Bundesliga success, Alonso is expected to again adopt a flexible possession-first approach. “I can only observe what I see from outside and how his team is playing now, and therefore I see a lot of similarities,” said Hürzeler. “With Leverkusen, he opened with a back three, had two sixes who were quite flexible, had the right centre-back joining the attack, had players between the lines, with [Florian] Wirtz similar to [Cole] Palmer and [Morgan] Rogers, and therefore I think he adapted for sure. “He adjusted to certain things because, becoming a Premier League manager in certain moments, you need to adjust things because it's just the best league in the world. That's what I always emphasise. “You need to have this belief in your own style of play, in your own principles, in how you want to play football. But I think in certain moments, you also need to adjust and adapt to certain things.” “Let’s see what happens” With Hürzeler’s press conference coming just 12 hours after the conclusion of a 4-0 win over Tromsø in the Conference League play-off round, there was a huge amount to discuss. The German said he was “really pleased” for everyone at the club that they had qualified for the Conference League, and said “we’ll take what we get” in regard to the league phase draw. Brighton can plan with more certainty any remaining transfer moves following their European progress, and with the window shutting at 11pm on Tuesday 1 September, Hurzeler hinted there will be further business. “Let’s see what happens,” were his cryptic words, uttered with a smile. He also confirmed that new signings Promise David and Jaouen Hadjam would be in the squad to face Chelsea, while Georginio Rutter and Jack Hinshelwood would be monitored before the trip to London. “With Jack, we have to be more patient,” said Hurzeler, who declined the opportunity to disclose the nature of the midfielder’s injury. “We have to go really day by day with Gini. I see a higher chance that he might be part of the squad than Jack,” confirmed the 33-year-old.