Burnley FC part-owner and former NFL superstar JJ Watt has told fans not to hide their disappointment after their relegation back to the Championship, but spoke confidently that they'll look to bounce back next season.
Burnley suffered their 23rd defeat of the season on Saturday, a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur sealing their fate - with them now not having enough points to finish outside of the relegation zone.
The Clarets have struggled in their first season back in the Premier League, failing to build off an impressive season in the Championship in 2022/23 when they were crowned champions in Vincent Kompany's first season.
Watt, who became a minority owner of the club last year, wasted no time in sending a message to fans after their relegation was confirmed.
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Watt tweeted: "No need to hide disappointment or frustration, it should hurt. Boys made a valiant run of it the last few months, just wasn’t enough in the end. Now we go again in The Championship. Looking to relive these brilliant memories from one year ago. We go together. Up The Clarets!"
Burnley join Sheffield United in returning to the Championship, with Luton Town almost certain to follow - with all three teams being promoted set to go straight back down.
Kompany's team needed a win against Spurs to remain in the hunt to stay in the top tier of English football, and Jacob Bruun Larsen gave them a surprise lead. However, right-back Pedro Porro blasted in the equaliser at the near post to make it 1-1 at half-time before fellow defender Micky van den Ven scored late on to confirm their relegation.
Burnley now must regroup this offseason, with a tough task ahead of them if they are to get back to the Premier League in the 2024/25 season. It remains to be seen whether Kompany will be kept on as head coach - with some criticising him for his style of play and a failure to adapt.
Watt has told Burnley fans the team will look to get back in the Premier League next season (No credit)In the Championship, Kompany deployed a free-flowing, attacking style of football - which he did not alter when the team went to the Premier League but ultimately failed to produce similar results against improved opposition.
But while Kompany's future is uncertain, Watt is not looking to leave the team despite their relegation - admitting on numerous occasions that he plans to be with the team for the long haul.
Watt has been a co-owner of Burnley for the past year, using his social media platforms to declare his love for the team - while not shying away from expressing his opinions on controversial decisions. The future NFL Hall of Famer and his wife Kealia are often spotted supporting the team at Turf Moor.
The former Houston Texan and Arizona Cardinal has also been very vocal on his disdain for referees, telling the 'Stick To Football ' show: "Lately, a few referees I've wanted to have that message with. It's so frustrating. At the beginning when I invested, you'd heard things from the fans that referees go against small town clubs, and I thought 'Sure, sure'. I'm a player and we complained about referees all the time. But then as the season starts to go on, you think that there are a lot of interesting things happening [with decisions].
"I've gone on X before and I don't know how the fines system works over here, I play dumb sometimes 'I don't know how this works, but these refs are pretty bad'. know Vincent and Alan [Pace] can't say it, but I'll take the hit."
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