Not many soccer managers have a tattoo of Che Guevara, dance of their free time and converse 5 languages.
However they’re simply three quirks which add to the layers of intrigue round Burnley’s new boss Fabio Celestini, an unknown Swiss tasked with saving the Clarets from double relegation and dropping into the third tier for the primary time since 2000.
After 4 wins within the final yr, with morale within the gutter, Burnley introduced Celestini as Nicky Hayen’s successor on Wednesday. Many followers may have dropped their marmalade. Who? Celestini’s CV is promising however that is an almighty gamble and so they can not afford for issues to go fallacious.
The Clarets sit twenty second within the Championship and have received only one house recreation inside 90 minutes in 2026. Their summer time was an unmitigated catastrophe – they’d woeful pre-season outcomes, went 71 days and not using a supervisor, offered final marketing campaign’s prime scorer Zian Flemming on deadline day with no alternative, and their chief government, James Holroyd, walked out in September after difficulties working alongside chairman Alan Tempo.
The membership is in £142million of debt, based on their newest accounts, with £13m in money within the coffers. The phrase ‘basket case’ involves thoughts.
Celestini’s appointment falls squarely on the shoulders of latest chief soccer officer Diego Lopez, one other stranger to English soccer, and it’s one Burnley’s gamers are not sure about.
Fabio Celestini is dealing with an uphill battle to keep away from relegation with Burnley, who sit twenty second within the Championship
Belgian boss Nicky Hayen lasted simply 12 league matches – and received solely as soon as
Burnley haven’t been within the third tier since 2000 however are staring down the barrel of a second successive relegation
Day by day Mail Sport understands that some members of the squad have reservations about Celestini’s model of play – he has favoured a possession-based 4-2-3-1 all through his profession, a system which Hayen tried and didn’t implement throughout his time in cost.
Many golf equipment have turned to outsiders and succeeded – simply have a look at table-toppers Middlesbrough below Kim Hellberg – however the lack of Championship expertise in Burnley’s administration construction leaves Celestini to navigate a steep studying curve with out a lot assist.
On the brilliant facet, Celestini inherited a equally shambolic case at Basel in October 2023 and thrived. The Swiss giants have been backside of the desk and had needed to cancel their aim of the month award, as a result of they hadn’t scored any. Celestini saved them from relegation, restored the feel-good issue by re-signing membership legend Xherdan Shaqiri, and received them the league and cup double the next season.
The 50-year-old former Switzerland midfielder – who received 35 caps for his nation and performed towards England’s Golden Era at Euro 2004 – additionally has a promotion on his ledger from his time at Lausanne and a Swiss Cup with Luzern. He additionally led Lugano into Europe and managed Sion.
‘Celestini is a decided, bold persona, however he will also be a cussed coach and that has brought about points at a number of golf equipment,’ Swiss soccer knowledgeable Craig King (@FootballSwissEN on X) tells Day by day Mail Sport.
‘He’s able to offering golf equipment with a short-term bounce earlier than it will definitely deteriorates. He has robust concepts, however his stubbornness usually tends to rub individuals the fallacious manner.
‘Plainly inevitably, he loses management of his groups someplace alongside the way in which and might by no means get them again on monitor.’
His time at Russian giants CSKA Moscow, final season after he left Basel, adopted that pattern. He had came upon about their curiosity on a vacation along with his dancer spouse, Fanny, within the Seychelles, and took the plunge, rocking up with a Spanish-speaking teaching coterie. He even appointed his spouse to assist edit video clips for evaluation and assist in elements of communication, a membership supply tells Day by day Mail Sport.
He loved a powerful begin at CSKA – he received the Russian Tremendous Cup in his first match and so they led the Russian Premier League after 11 video games. Going into the winter break, they have been simply 4 factors off prime in fourth.
‘Fabio has executed an amazing job,’ the membership’s common director Roman Babaev mentioned throughout that hiatus. ‘There was stunning soccer.’
By the tip of Celestini’s tenure in Could, Babaev was describing a ‘lack of self-confidence and a scarcity of perception of their means to show the scenario round’. He added: ‘We agreed that issues might solely worsen – the top coach doubted the crew was listening to him.’
Celestini received 35 caps for Switzerland and appeared towards England at Euro 2004
Burnley are Celestini’s eighth membership as a supervisor, having left CSKA Moscow by mutual consent in Could
What modified? Stories in Russia claimed that over the winter break, gamers had been unimpressed with the dearth of bodily and defensive work, with an excessive amount of emphasis on attacking and set-pieces. They misplaced their first three video games again after the break, suffered a humbling 4-0 thrashing by Krasnodar within the Russian Cup, and went winless in Celestini’s remaining 5 matches in cost.
Within the house of two months, all the pieces had unravelled. After defender Moises was despatched off within the drubbing at Krasnodar, Celestini reprimanded the participant within the dressing room – however the Brazilian hit again, questioning his supervisor’s competence in entrance of the crew. Moises was subsequently suspended and the membership took Celestini’s facet.
‘I felt like one thing was lacking, I wasn’t feeling effectively, one thing wasn’t proper. Different gamers began saying they weren’t feeling effectively,’ Moises later mirrored within the documentary We Are CSKA. ‘To turn into a champion, it’s good to cleanse your self of all dust. I blurted all of it out as a result of I knew what was simmering inside us all.’
Celestini continues to be effectively considered at CSKA and was all the time prepared to take accountability reasonably than criticise his gamers publicly. Former supervisor Viktor Goncharenko claimed that he in the end failed as a result of he ‘did not discover frequent floor with the CSKA veterans’, akin to legendary goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, and did not have sufficient Russian coaches. He left with the membership sixth within the desk.
Celestini’s process now could be to show round a flailing Burnley. His first task will probably be on Saturday at Turf Moor towards in-form Portsmouth. Primarily based off how he describes himself, he doesn’t come throughout as a disciplinarian. Celestini says he doesn’t like implementing fines and isn’t a fan of throwing issues throughout a dressing room.
‘This sort of half-time habits may solely work as soon as a season,’ he as soon as mentioned. ‘It is like an electrical shock.’
At his coronary heart Celestini seems to be an idealist. Earlier in his profession he established a basis to assist gamers from underprivileged backgrounds and he arrange a soccer college in Havana.
His tattoo of Cuban revolutionary Guevara value 180 Swiss francs (£163). He has misplaced rely of his tattoos by now, additionally inking his youngsters and an outline of fine triumphing over evil.
Celestini seems to be an idealist. Earlier in his profession he established a basis to assist gamers from underprivileged backgrounds and he arrange a soccer college in Havana
Day by day Mail Sport understands some Burnley gamers have reservations about Celestini’s possession-based 4-2-3-1, a system which Hayen didn’t implement
‘I began studying about (Guevara), finding out him. My tattoo depicts him with out his navy beret. There aren’t any political references,’ he mentioned. ‘What attracts me to him is that he fought his entire life for individuals who had nothing to do with him, and I’ve additionally fought so much in my life, so I made a decision to get it.’
One other of his heroes is Nelson Mandela: ‘He additionally devoted his complete life to his concepts. Anybody who fought for his or her beliefs is essential to me. I love individuals who take the time to assist others. I don’t take into account myself an excellent particular person, however I’m not a hypocrite.’
Away from soccer, Celestini – who speaks Italian, French, Spanish, German and English – additionally dances along with his spouse and enjoys boxing. A former electrical draughtsman, he has an excellent work ethic and, we hear, made a powerful push for the Burnley job.
A supply on the Clarets, who have been additionally fascinated about Rob Edwards and Carlos Corberan, insists that Celestini was their first alternative. Now they’re relying on him to ship a minor miracle.
