BURNLEY boss Sean Dyche believes the Clarets, Leicester and Atletico Madrid have shown there is a different way to being successful in football this season.

Diego Simeone’s side contest their second Champions League final in three years in Milan tonight as they face city rivals Real, just as they did in Lisbon in 2014.

In that run Atletico beat Barcelona in the quarter-finals, a trick they repeated this season, and a few weeks ago they knocked out favourites Bayern Munich, under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola, in the semi-final.

Dyche described their success under Simeone as “refreshing”.

“Five years ago everyone thought everyone should play like Barcelona. You’re a dinosaur if you don’t,” the Clarets chief said.

“I think now, people are saying ‘hang on’. The art of football is to win, and win a lot.

“How do you find a way of winning a lot?

“If you honestly think the equivalent of Burnley will go and take on Barcelona at their own game, what do you think the outcome is going to be?

“I’ll tell you what the outcome will be, you ain’t going to win. So you have to take them on at something that isn’t their game, and I think we’ve done that really well, Leicester have, and Atletico do.

“It’s a different way of going about your business, but it’s been effective for all three of us quite obviously.”

All three sides have thrived, in part, thanks to a phenomenal work-rate.

But Dyche believes the praise received for that can be given in a condescending way at times.

“After games, some managers say ‘they work really hard’, but say it in almost a doing you down way, and you think ‘when is that not fashionable, to work hard?’,” added the Clarets boss.

“What’s wrong with giving every inch of yourself? That’s got to be marvellous.

“Sorry, are your players not allowed to? I find that really weird. ‘They got the ball forward quickly a lot’. What, to that quick lad who scores loads of goals?

“Do you think they did that by luck, or someone said ‘I tell you what, that’s not a bad weapon, if we put it up to him, he runs onto it and puts it in the goal. A lot. ’Shall we use that? Go on.’”

“When we had Tripps (Kieran Trippier), people said we played long balls, but he could pass the ball anywhere, any length or distance, so why stop him?”

And Dyche insists Burnley, Leicester and Atletico are helping to dispel myths about what is required for success.

“All the myths are getting busted – you have to have possession. No. We got promoted with less than everyone two years ago, and this year with less than most,” he added.

“Leicester won the title with less possession, so it’s about balance.

“People need to slow down, there’s more to football than we thought, because Barcelona isn’t the only way of doing it.”