Tottenham vs Brighton in the Premier League at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - Saturday 5.30pm
Albion boss Fabian Hurzeler said Roberto De Zerbi made a big impact during his time at Brighton.
Hurzeler, 32, succeeded De Zerbi as the Brighton manager in 2024 after the Italian left for Marseille following a mostly successful spell at the Amex Stadium.
De Zerbi guided Brighton to their highest ever Premier League finish of sixth and then steered them to the knockout stages of the Europa League.
Hurzeler and De Zerbi will face each other for the first time in their managerial careers as in-form Brighton travel to relegation threatened Tottenham this Saturday.
The fiery Italian remains a popular figure with Brighton fans, which is something Hurzeler is happy to acknowledge.
"He deserves the praise," said Hurzeler in his pre Tottenham press conference. "He had a huge impact here."
"But we are there to win this game. We are there to keep showing the right habits," said the German as he hopes to continue Brighton's impressive recent run of five wins from their last six.
The Albion boss then stressed the importance of mental focus and intensity against a Tottenham side preparing for one of their most important matches in their recent history.
"[If we show that] we definitely have a big chance of winning this game,” added Hurzeler.
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