Burnley appoint Fabio Celestini as head coach
Burnley have appointed Fabio Celestini as their new head coach, four days after sacking Nicky Hayen. The 50-year-old takes charge of a club that has struggled badly this season.
Hayen left the club in the aftermath of a 4-1 defeat by Lincoln City. Burnley have won just once in the league this season and sit 22nd in the Championship, the second tier of English football. They have also gone more than a year without a league win at home.
Diego Lopez was appointed as Burnley's director of football earlier this week and given the task of finding a new manager. A day before the announcement, The Athletic reported Celestini as a strong contender for the job.
Celestini played as a midfielder and won 35 caps for Switzerland. He began his coaching career at Italian club Terracina, then worked with the Swiss clubs Lausanne, Lucerne, Lugano and Sion.
His best-known success came at FC Basel. In 2024-25 he led the club to a domestic double, winning the Swiss Super League title and the Swiss Cup. Most recently he managed CSKA Moscow, with whom he won the Russian Super Cup. He left CSKA by mutual agreement in May.
Burnley have not disclosed the details of his contract. The immediate task is a familiar one for a struggling side: turning results around on the pitch, one match at a time.
