Burnley sack Nicky Hayen after 14 games following Lincoln defeat

Burnley have dismissed head coach Nicky Hayen after 14 matches in charge, bringing his brief spell at the club to an end following a 4-1 Championship defeat at Lincoln City on Saturday. BBC Sport reported that the announcement came within two hours of the final whistle, with Burnley sitting 22nd in the table.

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The Clarets had taken the lead at Lincoln but were unable to protect it, eventually suffering their sixth defeat of the campaign. The club confirmed Hayen's departure in a statement consisting of just two sentences. At his post-match press conference, before the announcement, the Belgian had acknowledged that decisions about his future were outside his control.

Hayen was appointed on 10 July as the successor to Scott Parker. Parker had departed at the end of April, shortly after Burnley's relegation from the Premier League was confirmed. Owner Alan Pace brought in Hayen to lead a promotion challenge, and the coach arrived with a Belgian league title on his record, having won it with Club Brugge in 2024.

Burnley's recent experience in the second tier had offered a different backdrop to the current struggle. They had secured promotion in each of their previous two Championship campaigns, in 2023 and 2025. This season began with a draw against West Ham, but results subsequently deteriorated. According to the BBC, their home league win drought stretches back to a Premier League victory over Leeds United at Turf Moor more than a year ago.

There had been a brief improvement earlier this month when Burnley returned from the extended international break and defeated Watford 4-0 for their first win of the season. That result was followed by a draw with Charlton and a defeat against Wolves. Burnley scored first in both of those matches, as they did in the loss at Lincoln that ended Hayen's tenure.

The underlying results leave a difficult position for whoever follows him. BBC Sport reported that Burnley have won only once in their past 24 league matches. They have also conceded 25 goals in their first 12 Championship fixtures this season, giving them the division's worst defensive record at the time of Hayen's dismissal.