Some managers talk about wanting their team to be more physical.
Fabian Hurzeler actually did something about it.
Brighton bring MMA fighter into their training sessions
According to The Athletic, Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler brought a professional MMA fighter into training a couple of months ago.
This was specifically to help his players improve at set-piece battles and develop the physicality needed to compete in one-on-one duels.
The fighter is understood to be German Christian Eckerlin.
The session was revealed publicly by midfielder Jack Hinshelwood in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, who confirmed the fighter had been brought in to help players “block from corners better.”
Hurzeler then confirmed it himself ahead of Saturday’s trip to Newcastle United.
Brighton have built their identity around attractive, progressive football.
However, Hurzeler has clearly identified a gap between their style and their physicality.
And he’s found a very unorthodox way of closing it.
The timing of the session is also revealing.
It happened not long after Brighton’s narrow defeat to Arsenal.
A game after which Hurzeler publicly criticised the Gunners, saying “only one team tried to play.”
It’s not a stretch to suggest that game planted the seed for what followed in training.
Saturday’s fixture against Newcastle provides an immediate test of whether the work has paid off.
The Magpies are one of the Premier League’s most dangerous sides from dead ball situations, and one of the tallest squads in the division.
It’s the perfect exam.
What’s already clear is that Hurzeler isn’t content to simply play pretty football and hope for the best.
He previously trained with British boxer Harlem Eubank himself, so bringing in a professional combat sports specialist to sharpen his players is entirely consistent with how he approaches the game.
Creative, and absolutely determined to make Brighton harder to beat.
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