Burnley appoint Fabio Celestini as new Head Coach
Celestini will take charge for the first time against Portsmouth on 31st October
Burnley Football Club have announced the appointment of Fabio Celestini as Head Coach.
Celestini arrives with a record of winning and adapting to different football environments.
He took charge of FC Basel in October 2023, after a difficult start to the season, and within 18 months had led them to a domestic double, winning the club's first Swiss Super League title in eight years, along with the Swiss Cup.
Most recently Head Coach of CSKA Moscow, where he won the Russian Super Cup, Celestini has also won promotion with Lausanne-Sport and the Swiss Cup with Luzern.
As a player, he won 35 caps for Switzerland, played at Euro 2004, and spent 10 years in France and Spain with clubs including Olympique de Marseille, Levante and Getafe.
Celestini said he looks at Burnley and sees "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," Celestini said.
Diego López, Burnley's Chief Football Officer, said Celestini "brings the passion, experience and knowledge we were looking for".
"He showed extraordinary determination and conviction to come to Burnley. We want people who truly want to be here and help this club grow. Fabio is a clear example of that," Mr López said.
Celestini will be in the dugout for the first time against Portsmouth at Turf Moor on Saturday 31st October, with kick-off at 3pm.