City are just one game away from a Premier League return after a decade away
Hull City owner Acun Ilicali will see his side take on Middlesbrough at Wembley(Image: Freddie Yeo/MB Media/Getty Images)
Hull City owner Acun Ilicali admits seeing Hull City walking out at Wembley Stadium on Saturday afternoon will be a bittersweet occasion.
Ilicali, who bought the club in January 2022, lost his parents in a car accident when he was 22-years-old, and he says his mum and dad not seeing his life flourish has been a major source of pain.
Amongst a plethora of friends and family that will be at Wembley to see City take on Middlesbrough in the Championship play-off final for a place in the Premier League, the 56-year-old, who celebrates his birthday at the end of the month, will be with his four daughters and wife Çağla Altunkaya, as well as brother Omer.
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest Hull City news and analysis on our Hull Live FB page
“It’s a question that can give me more pain because my parents didn’t see any of my success in my life,” the City owner told Hull Live as he reflected on a tragic time in his life, but one that has given him added incentive in the years since.
“I was in university, the worst student in my high school, so. They always saw me as an energetic boy who was always causing trouble, but my relationship with them was perfect, and in my whole life, my biggest pain is that they have never seen any success in me in their life. For me, it’s a sad situation. All of us are like the ambassadors of our parents, so I feel like I am representing my father in this world. My father was the nicest man I’ve ever seen, so I’m proud to continue his brightness in life.”
Ilicali will have a host of friends and family inside England’s national stadium, but none will be more important than his four daughters, Banu, Melisa, Leyla and Yasemin.
“They will come, and they are very excited,” he beamed. “At the Millwall game, one was in Los Angeles, two were in Turkey, and one was with me at The Den. It was like a family celebration in two minutes from three continents. I’m not sure I can hide my excitement at the moment. I’m excited.”
Ilicali’s tenure has certainly not been dull since taking over from the Allam family, but Sergej Jakirovic has guided the Tigers into the play-off final, and the club’s highest finish since winning promotion under Steve Bruce, and he can’t hide his pride and excitement.
“I’m very excited, of course, but I’m preparing myself for any results because if we are here for the long process, no results should make us down and make us stronger even if we don’t go to the Premier League,” he continued.
“Two years ago, we were seventh, and now we are at Wembley. I said from the first minute that all I want is progress and momentum to go up. Except for last year, for which I apologise to our fans. I can say that when I came to Hull City, the team was, I think, around 20th or 21st, I don’t remember the exact position, but we were in seventh place and once in the play-offs. Except for last year I can say that all the improvement and progress is going extremely good, so for Wembley, of course, I am very, very excited.”
Here at Hull Live , we are dedicated to bringing you the best Hull City coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group.
You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.