MANCHESTER: Two seasons after Leicester's improbable title triumph, another soccer fairytale might be unfolding in the English Premier League.
They are unlikely to emulate Leicester in winning the league, but the players and coach of unfashionable northwest club Burnley are starting to dream of playing in the Champions League next season.
Burnley scored an 89th-minute goal to beat Stoke 1-0 on Tuesday and climb temporarily into the top four of England's top flight for the first time since March 1975.
A supposed candidate for relegation after selling two of its best players in the offseason, Burnley have won nine of their 17 games, conceded just 12 goals, and are four points behind Chelsea and Manchester United. They have already beaten Chelsea away, and drawn at Tottenham and Liverpool.
“Leicester blew the roof off the dreams of football,” Burnley manager Sean Dyche said. “Now, no bold statements from me about that, by the way, I must make that clear. But there’s an open-mindedness to the group.
“If you are going to dream, you have to be prepared to make the dreams come true. That’s what we are trying to do.”
A founding member of the Football League in 1888 and the English champion in 1921 and 1960, Burnley hasn’t finished a season higher than sixth place since 1974. A downturn saw the club drop out of the top division for 33 years and, in 1987, almost fall out of the professional leagues.
Burnley are in their second season back in the top flight, having avoided relegation only because of its strong home form. Now it is hard to beat home or away, with Dyche molding a hard-working, well-organized and defensively compact team.
All this after selling defender Michael Keane and striker Andre Gray for a combined $65 million over the summer, helping the club return a profit of about $20 million when most of the rest of the Premier League was spending freely.
“I keep reality because this division will eat you alive,” said Dyche, who was a no-nonsense center back as a player and is one of the characters of the Premier League with his distinctive gravel-toned voice. “We’re having a real go at what we can achieve this season. I’m not being negative. I’m a realist. There’s a lot of challenges coming our way. The fans and the town have got to enjoy these times. Why wouldn’t you?”
Burnley, the Premier League surprise package
Burnley, the Premier League surprise package
Patrick Habirora headlines PFL Brussels at Ing Arena in May
- PFL returns on May 23 with ‘The Belgian Bomber’ facing MMA legend Benson ‘Smooth’ Henderson
NEW YORK: The Professional Fighters League returns to the ING Arena on Saturday, May 23, for PFL Brussels, with Belgium’s No. 10-ranked welterweight Patrick “The Belgian Bomber” Habirora (8-0) facing former UFC champion Benson “Smooth” Henderson (30-12).
Habirora has seven victories coming by way of KO or TKO. He silenced doubters last December at PFL Lyon against his toughest test to date, Kevin Jousset.
A thunderous first-round knockout followed by relentless ground-and-pound sent the Lyon crowd into a frenzy and left many wondering how far he can go in MMA.
A former WEC and UFC champion, “Smooth” is a 20-year veteran and remains one of the most accomplished athletes of his era. Henderson has beaten Nate Diaz, Frankie Edgar (twice), and Jorge Masvidal.
Recently sharpening his tools across grappling, karate, wrestling and boxing, Henderson now returns to MMA determined to prove his championship pedigree.
Upcoming PFL Schedule:
- Friday, March 20: PFL Madrid, Palacio Vistalegre, Madrid, Spain.
- Saturday, March 28: PFL Pittsburgh, UPMC Events Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- Saturday, April 11: PFL Chicago, Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois.
- Thursday, April 16: PFL Belfast, SSE Arena Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
- Saturday, May 2: PFL Sioux Falls, Sanford Pentagon: Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
- Saturday, May 23: PFL Brussels, ING Arena, Brussels, Belgium.
