Burnley have sacked head coach Nicky Hayen after just 14 games in charge following a dismal start to the campaign that has left the Clarets sitting 22nd in the Championship. The Belgian's brief tenure was brought to an abrupt end via a short two-sentence statement released within two hours of Saturday's 4-1 defeat against Lincoln City at the ProAmpac Stadium. The result marked Burnley's sixth league loss of the season and made Hayen the second Championship manager to be dismissed this term, following the departure of Preston's Paul Heckingbottom.
Hayen was appointed on 10 July by owner Alan Pace to spearhead a promotion charge, with the Clarets having achieved promotion in their previous two Championship campaigns in 2023 and 2025. The former Club Brugge boss, who won the Belgian league title in 2024, arrived to succeed Scott Parker after his exit at the end of April, which came days after Burnley's Premier League relegation was confirmed. Speaking about his future in his final post-match press conference on Saturday, Hayen said: "I'm not going to lose my energy because this is something out of my hands."
Although Burnley opened their season with a promising draw against West Ham, their form quickly deteriorated. Following an extended international break, the Clarets secured their first victory of the campaign earlier this month with a 4-0 win over struggling Watford. However, they were unable to sustain that form, drawing against Charlton and losing to Wolves despite scoring first in both matches, before Lincoln City fought back from 1-0 down on Saturday to condemn them to another defeat.
The weekend loss to the Imps highlighted a broader struggle, leaving Burnley with only one win from their previous 24 league fixtures. Defensively, the Clarets have now shipped 25 goals across their first 12 Championship matches, which stands as the worst defensive record in the division. Additionally, the club has failed to win a league match at home since defeating Leeds United at Turf Moor in the Premier League over a year ago, ultimately prompting the board to terminate Hayen's brief spell at the helm.