Burnley boss Vincent Kompany was delighted to see his side clinch promotion back to the top flight on Good Friday.
The Clarets confirmed a top two finish in the Sky Bet Championship with seven games to spare. A 2-0 win over Middlesbrough was enough to seal the deal.
“Sometimes you just have to believe,” he said, speaking after the game. “A year ago it was all talks about going down the divisions and everything that was a possible doomsday for us and here we are now and we’re going the other way. That’s how quick it goes in life.”
After suffering relegation from the Premier League last year, the former Belgium international arrived in the summer to take the reins.
🗣️ How does it feel, @VincentKompany? #EFL | @BurnleyOfficial pic.twitter.com/yofv2mZy6Y
— Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) April 7, 2023
He’s now achieved what he set out to do when he took up his first managerial post in English football, bouncing back at the first attempt.
“I’m really happy; I’m happy for the Club,” he added. “Many people had to come back and overcome what was a very disappointing end of the season last year. Now, we’ve finished this season with the biggest contrast possible.
“People are looking forward to going into the Premier League and I hope we can bring a team into the Premier League that is able to compete and able to have fun.”
And although the Clarets were on a high in amongst last night’s celebrations, Kompany insisted it has been a tough term.
“It hasn’t been easy,” he continued. “I know that we did it with seven games to go which is a pretty awesome achievement. In the end, it’s not been easy. We’ve ground out many wins and we’ve dug deep for results and had the marquee games. It’s been a very complete season in that way.
Burnley are now 11 points clear of Sheffield United at the top of the table and Kompany has the title set in his sight.
“It’s just as good,” he said. “I can’t make a distinction between that right now. I was proud as a player but I’m a manager now and this is what I live for.
“Our hands are still empty so we’ve got to go for the title.”
