Sean Dyche, the Premier League’s longest-serving manager, was fired on Friday by Burnley in a late-season gamble to avoid relegation from the lucrative top flight of England. Given Dyche’s history and status at a club where the manager has accomplished so much in relative terms on one of the smallest budgets in the league, Burnley’s American ownership, the ALK Capital investment group, has made a bold decision.
Dyche has been in charge since October 2012, during which time his team has been promoted twice from the Championship, has two Premier League top-half finishes, and has qualified for Europe for the first time in 51 years.
Burnley FC announced the sacking of the manager through its official Twitter handle.
Burnley Football Club can confirm the Club has parted company with manager Sean Dyche, assistant manager Ian Woan, first-team coach Steve Stone and goalkeeping coach Billy Mercer.
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) April 15, 2022
Under Dyche, Burnley presented a unique obstacle to opponents, particularly when they came to Turf Moor, but one that has become simpler to navigate this season as Dyche’s side battled to avoid relegation. Burnley’s chances of staying up were dealt a major blow last weekend when they lost 2-0 to bottom-placed Norwich, only days after a morale-boosting 3-2 win over Everton, another relegation contender.
Dyche is seen as a credit both on and off the field and is well-liked by players, staff, fans, and the larger football community. However, that wasn’t enough to keep him in his job, and Dyche will be a difficult act to follow, regardless of whether Burnley remains in the Premier League.
