Sunderland vs Brighton in the Premier League from the Stadium of Light - Saturday, 3pm
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler knows the pain of conceding seven goals in a single match.
Hurzeler was not long into his fledgling career as Brighton manager when his team were torn to shreds by Nottingham Forest in the Premier League in February 2025.
Albion were walloped 7-0 that day at the City Ground but Hurzeler and Brighton responded in an impressive way and enjoyed an extended unbeaten run that ultimately saw them to a respectable eighth place finish in the German’s first season in charge.
That’s why Hurzeler was well-placed to impart some wisdom on Brighton’s £50m defender Luka Vuskovic after the Croatian defender was part of the team that lost 7-0 to England during the international break.
Vuskovic, 19, and Croatia hit back with respectable performance with a 2-1 loss to World Cup winners Spain.
Vuskovic has made an impressive start to his career at Brighton after his summer move from Tottenham and the teenager will hope to shrug off any lasting hangover from a testing international break as Brighton face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
Hurzeler: Losing 7-0 was a big lesson
Hurzeler said: “You know what? I texted him after he conceded seven goals.
“I texted him, ‘I also lost with seven goals and it was my biggest lesson so far in my managing career’.
“When you use this failure to get better, then you will get a better personality and better player.
“How he came back was impressive, a very positive mood.
“Of course, we and he spoke a little bit about these experiences in the national team.
“Some players experience good things. Some players, more bad things.
“But overall now we are all back in the Brighton boat and we all have to get the players on the same page.
“That is what we were trying to do with the players, no matter which experience they had in their time with the national team.”
Vuskovic bounced back
So far Vuskovic has started every Premier League match for Brighton this season and Hurzeler was impressed by the way his young charged bounced back in the next game against Spain.
Hurzeler added: “That's also his quality, you know, and also from the Croatia team in general. I think they bounce back in a very impressive style.
“Of course, they lost the game, but how they play football and how they bounce back, that shows character and that's what all the Croatians are standing for, for resilience, for mentality, that's always what made them strong.
“So, that's also a thing in football what is so underestimated and every Croatian person I know and every Croatian player I can see playing have like these kind of characters and I really like them.”