Burnley have sacked head coach Nicky Hayen after only 14 games in charge, acting within two hours of Saturday’s 4-1 defeat at Lincoln City. The loss at the ProAmpac Stadium saw the hosts come back from 1-0 down to inflict a sixth Championship defeat of the season on the Clarets and leave them 22nd in the table. Burnley announced the decision in a short two-sentence statement.
Hayen had been appointed on 10 July to replace Scott Parker, who left at the end of April, days after Burnley’s relegation from the Premier League was confirmed. The Belgian arrived after winning the Belgian title with Club Brugge in 2024, and owner Alan Pace brought him in to oversee a promotion bid. Burnley had been promoted in their previous two Championship campaigns, in 2023 and 2025.
There had been an encouraging start in the form of a draw with West Ham on the opening weekend, but the season nosedived. Burnley are without a home league win since beating Leeds United at Turf Moor in the Premier League more than a year ago. Earlier this month, after the extended international break, they earned a first win of the season in style by beating Watford 4-0, but then drew with Charlton and lost to Wolves, scoring first in both matches.
The Lincoln City defeat underlined a broader run: Burnley have won just one of their past 24 league games. They have also conceded 25 goals from their opening 12 Championship games, the worst record in the division. Speaking in his post-match press conference, Hayen had said: “I’m not going to lose my energy because this is something out of my hands” with reference to his future. The club then moved quickly to end his tenure.