Sussex

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Brighton's record signing Luka Vuskovic says "it was very nice" to make his home debut at Amex Stadium in the friendly against Roma.

The centre-back featured in the first half before being replaced for the second by club captain Lewis Dunk.

"A clean sheet is the most important thing for me as a defender, but I think we played very good as a team," Vuskovic told BBC Radio Sussex. "The last two or three weeks that I've been here have been really nice and I am enjoying my time here.

"All the guys accepted me really well, so did the coaching staff and the other people at the club.

"I think we are a really good group of young people and we can only grow as players and humans. I think this will be a really good season for us."

Head coach Fabian Hurzeler added: "He's very mature for his age so he adapts quickly and understands quickly. If a player can understand quickly then it shows they have real quality.

"He will be an important player for us. This is just the first step as there are things that he needs to improve, but he has the right mindset and attitude.

"He is a big threat as he scored a lot of goals at his previous club, so that will help us with set pieces which have been very important for us in the Premier League."

Listen to Hurzeler's full interview on BBC Sounds here and Vuskovic's chat by pressing play below

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Brighton continued their pre-season preparations with a fine 3-0 win over Roma at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.

Gerorginio Rutter put the Seagulls in front on the half hour mark with a spectacular curling effort from 20 yards before Yasin Ayari scored either side of half time to secure the win.

Record signing from Tottenham Luka Vuskovic impressed in the centre of Fabian Hurzeler's defence, while fellow new arrivals Costinha and Zadoc Yohanna also featured as second half substitutes.

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Brighton have confirmed Facundo Buonanotte has joined La Liga side Elche on a season-long loan.

The 21-year-old attacker joined the Seagulls from Rosario Central in January 2023 and has made 50 appearances, scoring five goals.

Buonanotte spent the 2024-25 season on loan at Leicester City, and was loaned to Chelsea then Leeds last season.

Brighton Sporting director, Mike Cave said: "Facundo is a talented young player who has continued to develop since joining the club. This loan gives him the opportunity to play regular football in one of Europe's top leagues.

"We believe this move will provide an excellent environment for him to gain further experience, and we'll continue to monitor his progress closely throughout the season."

Johnny Cantor
BBC Radio Sussex reporter

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There was a generally positive feel to this season's Fans' Forum and it was no surprise the issue of Danny Welbeck's departure was seized upon straight away. There was also a fair amount of concern of the loss of so much experience on and off the pitch over the summer.

A resolute response indicated a full focus on pushing forward, accepting the realities of the Premier League and stiff resolves in the decision making by the club in its transfer and retention policy.

The name checking of young players, a desire to do well in the Conference League and changes to the Amex Stadium were also discussed in a pacy, fun evening. The event is as good as its questions and there were plenty of interesting topics under the microscope.

Below you can read several questions and answers from the night.

You can listen to the Fans Forum in full on BBC Sounds here or hit play below.

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In the final instalment of the Brighton Fans' Forum, Paul Barber answers a question on matchday ticketing and Fabian Hurzeler explains how he keeps a harmonious team.

Question: What work is being done to stop away fans from getting tickets in the home end? It stops proper fans getting tickets.

Paul Barber answered: "Unfortunately, a large proportion of those tickets are being sold by Brighton fans. So the first thing we've got to do is take care of ourselves and not do that.

"We've made it very clear that if home fans sell tickets on the black market then it creates tension in the stadium and it makes fans upset.

"There's another percentage of people that may live locally and buy memberships. It's very difficult for us as a club to determine that those people aren't fans of other clubs. It's only when they out themselves that we can take any kind of action.

"The largest majority will be our own fans selling them on. We have to stop doing that because it doesn't help the team."

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Question: The club has brought in three centre-halves so are you intending on playing a different way this season? Or with the news Carlos Baleba is injured, will one of them be playing in the midfield? If not, how will you keep everyone happy?

Fabian Hurzeler answered: "It's a big challenge for a coach to make everyone happy.

"You have to be clear that in certain moments you will disappoint players, but how you can handle that is with honesty.

"We were quite successful with a back four, but I don't want to work that much with formations. I work with principles because no matter if you play a back four or five, they have to deal with situations. If they can do that then it gives me the flexibility to change the formation.

"We will stick to the back four, but we have the flexibility which is a great situation to have as a coach.

"In regards to the injury to Carlos [Baleba], I am hopeful that it is not that bad and that we will see him back on the pitch quite soon. You don't need to worry that much about him."