Championship strugglers Burnley finalise Celestini appointment

Burnley have confirmed the appointment of former Basel and CSKA Moscow boss Fabio Celestini as their new head coach, following the dismissal of Nicky Hayen.

Hayen was sacked after just 14 Championship games in charge last Saturday, after a 4-1 defeat to Lincoln City left the Clarets rooted in the relegation zone.

Having only won one league game – 4-0 against Watford in early October – since their relegation, Burnley are already 17 points adrift of Championship leaders Middlesbrough and 12 off the final play-off place.

Celestini previously won a Swiss Super League and Swiss Cup double with Basel in 2024-25, before lifting the Russian Super Cup with CSKA after moving to Russia last year.

He left the Moscow club after a poor run of form saw them drop out of title contention, and his next assignment will be to get Burnley's promotion bid back on track – starting with Saturday's clash with Portsmouth at Turf Moor.

The former Switzerland midfielder told the Clarets' website: "I look at Burnley and I see a club with big potential and players with real quality, who can help us achieve our supporters' ambitions. 

"I know the situation we are in, and I have lived it before. Our supporters deserve to see a team playing with belief from the first whistle."

Before joining CSKA Moscow, Celestini had spent his entire coaching career in the lower divisions of Italian football or in his native Switzerland, also leading Terracina, Lausanne-Sport, Lugano, Luzern and Sion.

Burnley will make a piece of unwanted history if they fail to beat Portsmouth – they have not won a home league game since beating Leeds United in the top flight on October 18, 2025. 

The record winless run at home in England's top four divisions, in terms of days, is Sheffield Wednesday's 376-day streak between April 2025 and May 2026, which Burnley could surpass this weekend.