13.05.2026 18:41
Acun Ilıcalı, former Vice President of Fenerbahçe, responded to a question about his return to Fenerbahçe during a program he attended. Acun Ilıcalı said, "I do not plan to return at this stage. I am currently following the developments as well."
Former Fenerbahçe Vice President Acun Ilıcalı made striking statements on current issues during an appearance on Cüneyt Özdemir's YouTube channel.
"I HAD A VERY INTENSE SCHEDULE AT FENERBAHÇE"
Speaking about his tenure at Fenerbahçe, Acun Ilıcalı stated that he neglected Hull City during this period, saying, "Last year, I had a very intense workload at Fenerbahçe. I could only come to England a few times, and the team almost got relegated. I left my beloved club at the start of the summer. I spoke with Hull City fans, made a promise, they were disappointed frankly, and I said I would fully focus. Then they bought into that promise and were happy. I started putting in serious effort. I had to get involved in most of the transfers. No one wants to join a team finishing 21st; you have to convince them. I gave it all my energy. I brought in Kayserispor's coach, Jakirovic."
"I AM AT EASE WHEN IT COMES TO ACCOUNTABILITY"
Continuing his remarks, Acun Ilıcalı stated that he did nothing during his tenure that he could not account for, adding, "Our President Ali invited me to the board, which was a great honor for me. I am a Fenerbahçe fan. It was a big risk. We had to defend the team's rights. I wasn't afraid; I didn't think for a second that I might get hurt. I gave everything. Looking back, I don't know how much more I could have given. We worked well with President Ali. He gave me confidence, bless him. I improved myself in club management. There was a president who valued every single lira of the club more than his own money and dedicated 24 hours to it. I am comfortable with accountability; I learned that it's important for club discipline and that the club needs to be financially strong. There were good times, but it wasn't meant to be."
STATEMENT ON HIS RETURN
Responding to the question, "Have you closed the Fenerbahçe chapter as a director? Have you received any offers for the election, and who will you vote for?" Acun Ilıcalı said, "I don't want to speak before the election. I am not considering returning at this stage. Right now, I am also watching the developments. May it be for the best for our club. I am hurt. There are many from within our own community that I feel let down by, given the effort I put in. I took on this role at Fenerbahçe for this struggle, accepting the attacks from the opposing side. I saw that the enemies within are bigger than those outside. Fenerbahçe's real problem is its internal enemies. There's a group that has strayed from sound judgment. Talisca scores 30 goals, yet Talisca is still debated—that's the kind of club Fenerbahçe is. If you score 50 goals, you could still be debated. That's the mindset at Fenerbahçe."