03.05.2026 19:43
Acun Ilıcalı, the owner of Hull City, who finished the regular season in the Championship playoff spots, made statements about current issues. Commenting on his star striker Oliver McBurnie, Acun Ilıcalı said, 'Oliver would not score fewer than 25 goals in a season if he played for a big club in Turkey right now. He is a very special player. He is the one who carried the team in the most critical matches. I have rarely seen a player with such a high goal-scoring percentage.'
Acun Ilıcalı, the owner of Hull City, who finished the regular season in the playoff zone in the English Championship, said their goal is the Premier League.
HULL CITY REACHED THE PLAYOFFS
Hull City, who finished the regular season in 6th place by beating Norwich City 2-1 in the last week of the English Championship, completed the league in the playoff zone.
STATEMENTS FROM ACUN ILICALI
Acun Ilıcalı, the owner of Hull City, who will face Millwall in the playoff semi-finals, made statements to an AA reporter. Expressing their great joy at finishing the season in the playoff zone as Hull City, Ilıcalı said, "This result is a consequence of our players' effort on the field and the support of our fans throughout the season. We are proud of the character shown by our team."
"THANKFULLY, HE MADE US PROUD"
Stating that he was very impressed by the football played by Bosnian coach Sergej Jakirovic at the beginning of the season, Ilıcalı said, "I took the initiative and used my coach preference in his favor. Thankfully, he made us proud. I have always believed in the impact of a coach in football. Our coach has proven how right this is."
"WE WANT TO REACH OUR GOAL"
Speaking about the playoff round, Ilıcalı said, "We have playoff matches ahead. We want to continue on our path with the same unity and belief to reach our goal. We receive great support from our country. This makes me particularly happy. May everyone who contributed and prayed be blessed."
"IF HE PLAYED IN TURKEY, HE WOULDN'T SCORE LESS THAN 25 GOALS"
Referring to the team's forward line, Ilıcalı emphasized that Oliver McBurnie is a very critical figure. Highlighting that McBurnie is a Premier League striker, Acun Ilıcalı said, "Oliver currently wouldn't score less than 25 goals in a season if he played for a big team in Turkey. He is a very special player. He has been the one carrying the team in the most critical matches. I have rarely seen a player with such a high goal percentage. Additionally, we made reinforcements on the wings. After the injuries in those areas, the attacking impact of our wing players also made significant contributions to the team."
"THE BURDEN AT FENERBAHCE WAS VERY HEAVY"
Emphasizing that he completely focused on the team after leaving his role at Fenerbahçe, Ilıcalı said, "Last season, there was a team that stayed in the league in the last week. This season, there has been a complete change, with me focusing on the team. Last season, the burden on me was very heavy, and I almost never came here. This season, I lived here 150 days of the year. I have always believed in the right coach. We achieved this. We saw the coach's impact very closely this season."
"THE FATE OF THE WHOLE CITY WILL CHANGE"
Stating that the city would be significantly affected if Hull City promotes to the Premier League, Ilıcalı concluded his words by saying, "The fate of the whole city will change. Cities with English Premier League teams also become the center of the league. This will positively affect the city."