The 2017/18 season was easily one of Burnley’s most memorable in recent seasons and Sean Dyche led the Clarets to a seventh-place finish in the Premier League.

It was an achievement that has somewhat gone under the radar in the years that have passed, but considering it was just the Clarets’ second consecutive season in the Premier League following Championship promotion in 2016, it was a fairytale for the Turf Moor faithful and earned them European football.

European football is usually seen as a privilege reserved for the big boys of English football, but clubs like Stoke City, Birmingham City, Swansea City, and Wigan Athletic have all made the group stage of the Europa League in the past 15 years, and 2018 marked 51 years since the Clarets last had the chance to play football on the continent.

However, a seventh-place finish in the Premier League meant that instead of going into the group stage of Europe’s second-tier competition, the Clarets would have to negotiate three qualifying rounds, and while that wasn’t perceived to be much of an issue at the time, it ultimately led to Dyche’s side falling short of qualification.

Burnley were drawn against tough opposition in their Europa League qualifiers

The Europa League qualifiers often feature smaller sides from far weaker leagues across Europe, particularly as this was prior to the introduction of the Europa Conference League, and it was assumed that a side that finished seventh in the Premier League would make light work of whoever they faced.

After waiting 51 years for the chance to watch their side in Europe, Burnley fans were relishing the chance to face an obscure side on the continent in a far-flung location, but instead they were drawn against Aberdeen, meaning a trip up the motorway rather than a flight across Europe.

It’s fair to say that it wasn’t the most exciting second-round draw for the Clarets, but they were expected to dispatch an Aberdeen side who had finished second in the Scottish Premiership.

The Clarets did get the win, coming out on top 4-2 on aggregate, but not before being pushed all the way to extra time, and it was an indication that qualifying could be more difficult than first expected.

Burnley supporters got their wish of a trip across Europe in the third round when they were drawn against Istanbul Basaksehir, but yet again it proved a difficult tie, and Burnley needed extra time once again to dispatch their opposition, winning 1-0.

They were now in the play-off round, just one game away from the group stage, but were dealt a tough blow with the news that they would face Greek giants Olympiacos, one of the toughest ties they could have had.

Olympiacos are vastly experienced in European competition, as shown by their Europa Conference League success last season, and it proved a step too far for the Clarets.

Olympiacos Europa League result will leave Burnley thinking about what could have been

A trip to Greece looked a tough ask for the Clarets, who were struggling to replicate their form from the previous season, and so it proved.

They were defeated 3-1 at the Karaiskakis Stadium after seeing Ben Gibson sent off, and they had it all to do at Turf Moor the following week.

As the Turf Moor faithful will be all too aware of now, they were unable to turn the tie around in Lancashire, drawing 1-1, meaning the away side progressed as 4–2 winners on aggregate.

After waiting 51 years for a taste of European football, missing out on qualification would have left a bitter taste for Burnley and their European adventure felt like it was over before it even started.

Watching the draw for the group stage and seeing clubs play in the competition on a Thursday night would have left supporters wondering about what could have been, and robbed them of the chance to see their side play in some of Europe’s most famous venues.

Olympiacos ended up in a group with Real Betis, F91 Dudelange from Luxembourg, and AC Milan, meaning the Burnley faithful missed out on a trip to the San Siro.

To make matters worse, Olympiacos actually progressed to the Round of 32, and Burnley would have been confident of doing the same had they qualified.

Missing out on the Europa League group stages was a real hammer-blow for the Clarets, and it will still sting six years on.