Ruben Selles has been sacked by Hull City less than two weeks after guiding the Tigers to safety on the final day of the Championship season.
Meetings have been taking place this week, chaired by owner Acun Ilicali at his Istanbul-based office, with sporting director Jared Dublin, board member Mustapha Yokes and head of recruitment Martin Hodge all jetting out to Turkey to thrash out Selles’ future.
Those meetings took place from Tuesday onwards, and the eventual outcome came as little surprise given the direction things have taken since the regular EFL campaign ended. Dublin is understood to have met with Selles on Thursday to inform him of the decision, and he departs with assistant boss James Oliver-Pearce and first team coach Toby Loveland.
City’s 1-1 draw at Portsmouth on the opening Saturday in May, coupled with Luton Town’s 5-3 defeat at West Brom, saw the Tigers survive on goal difference after what was a dismal campaign that started with Tim Walter in charge.
The Tigers began the final day inside the bottom three but knew victory would assure them of survival, whilst knowing a point would also be enough if either the Hatters or Preston North End lost.
North End drew 2-2 at Bristol City, having been two up, but Luton were thrashed at The Hawthorns, finding themselves 5-1 down at one stage, and the Tigers survived by the skin of their teeth. That result proved to be the City manager’s 26th and final league game in charge.
Selles was brought in by owner Acun Ilicali in December after bringing an end to Walter’s tumultuous, short-lived tenure. He took charge of 26 Championship games and an FA Cup third-round loss on penalties to Doncaster Rovers. The Spaniard, who left Reading to join the Tigers, won nine of those 26 games, drawing seven and losing 11. In those 26 games, Selles registered 33 points at a rate of 1.27 per game.
Based on Selles’ record, if averaged out over a 46-game season, City would have ended the campaign around 58 points which would have seen them finish in and around 15th, and avoid the scrap they were in when he arrived.
Since he took charge ahead of the draw with Watford on December 11, City sat 12th in the Championship form table above the likes of Middlesbrough, West Brom and Blackburn, all of whom had flirtations with the play-offs. Only Leeds United, Burnley and Sheffield United conceded fewer than the 26 his side did during that period. Scoring goals were the major problem with just 44 registered in 46 games, the lowest in the league.
Ilicali is now searching for his fifth permanent manager since his takeover in January 2022. The Turkish owner will aim to make a swift appointment to ensure plans are well in place for the players’ return to pre-season training at the beginning of July and ahead of the club’s annual training camp in Turkey later that month.
“Hull City can confirm we have parted company with head coach Rubén Sellés with immediate effect,” the club said in a statement provided to Hull Live on Thursday evening.
“The 41-year-old was appointed in December and guided the Tigers to Sky Bet Championship survival on goal difference on the final day of the 2024/25 season.
“Assistant head coach James Oliver-Pearce and first-team coach Tobias Loveland have also left the club. Following a thorough review of football operations after a challenging campaign, the club feels a change in leadership is necessary to move the team forward in line with our ambitions.
“We would like to thank Rubén, James and Tobias for their hard work and dedication during their time at the MKM Stadium and wish them well for their future careers.”