Burnley sack Nicky Hayen after Lincoln defeat leaves Clarets in Championship relegation zone

Burnley have sacked head coach Nicky Hayen after a 4–1 defeat at Lincoln City left them 22nd in the Championship.

The Belgian leaves after 14 matches in all competitions, with Burnley having won only once in their opening 12 league games.

The club confirmed his immediate departure on Saturday evening, citing their disappointing start to the season in an official statement.

Lincoln defeat brings Hayen’s tenure to an end

Burnley took the lead through Andréas Hountondji but conceded an equaliser to Ben House in first-half stoppage time.

Lincoln then scored three times between the 49th and 67th minutes. Mikkel Ladefoged struck twice, either side of a Dom Jefferies goal, before goalkeeper George Wickens saved Marcus Edwards’ late penalty.

The defeat, covered in Dave.Sport’s Saturday EFL roundup, left Burnley facing an increasingly difficult start to life back in the second tier.

Their only league victory under Hayen was a 4–0 win at Watford on 10 October. They also progressed past Notts County on penalties in the Carabao Cup before a shootout defeat by Bradford ended their involvement.

Before his dismissal was announced, Hayen apologised to supporters and acknowledged that continued poor results would put his position at risk, according to the Guardian’s report.

Burnley yet to name Hayen’s replacement

Hayen had signed a three-year contract when Burnley announced his appointment on 10 July.

He succeeded Scott Parker after the club’s relegation from the Premier League, as detailed in Reuters’ account of his departure.

Burnley’s dismissal statement did not name a successor or an interim head coach.

The immediate task for the next appointment is to improve results and move the club out of the bottom three. One win from 12 league matches has left Burnley with little early momentum in their attempt to return to the Premier League.

Follow our Championship coverage for further managerial developments and the latest results.