Burnley sack Nicky Hayen after Lincoln defeat leaves club 22nd
The Championship club dismissed its head coach after 14 matches, citing a disappointing start to the season following a 4-1 loss at Lincoln City.
Burnley dismissed head coach Nicky Hayen on Saturday, 24 October, after a 4-1 defeat at Lincoln City left the club 22nd in the Championship. His departure after 14 matches puts another change of coach ahead of a club that had been expected to challenge for promotion.
In a statement reported by Reuters and The Guardian, Burnley said Hayen had been dismissed with immediate effect. The board cited a ‘disappointing start to the Championship season’ as its reason. The club announced the decision within two hours of the Lincoln defeat, BBC Sport reported.
How Burnley reached 22nd place
Hayen won one match during his time in charge: a 4-0 league victory at Watford on 10 October, according to The Guardian. Reuters reported that Burnley had won only once in their last 12 league matches. BBC Sport said the team conceded 25 goals in its first 12 Championship games, the division’s highest total at that stage.
The Guardian reported that Burnley had edged past Notts County on penalties in Hayen’s first game and came back from two goals down to draw their opening league match against West Ham. Heavy defeats at West Brom and Norwich followed, along with a League Cup exit on penalties at Bradford. A home loss to Wolves the previous weekend added to the pressure before the Lincoln result.
Hayen’s response and Burnley’s promotion hopes
Speaking after the Lincoln match but before the dismissal was announced, Hayen apologised to supporters for another heavy defeat. ‘I will keep on working hard as long as I have the chance,’ he said, according to The Guardian. He acknowledged that the result gave the board something to consider.
Burnley appointed Hayen in the summer as the successor to Scott Parker, who left after the club’s relegation from the Premier League was confirmed. Reuters reported that Hayen had signed a three-year deal. He arrived after leading Club Brugge to the 2023-24 Belgian league title and later winning the Belgian Cup and Super Cup.
Burnley had secured promotion in each of its previous two Championship seasons, The Guardian reported. This campaign’s early results instead left the club in the relegation zone after the Lincoln defeat, with the head coach who began the season already gone.
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Sources and context
- Burnley dismiss coach Hayen after 14 gamesCNA (Reuters report)
- Nicky Hayen: Burnley head coach sacked after just 14 gamesBBC Sport
- Burnley sack Nicky Hayen after Lincoln rout leaves them in bottom threeThe Guardian
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.