City’s Croatian manager took the acclaim of thousands of adoring fans on Bank Holiday Monday
Hull City head coach Sergej Jakirovic with Oli McBurnie
Sergej Jakirovic issued a full and frank apology after failing to keep Hull City in the Championship, professing that he failed at the first job given to him by owner Acun Ilicali when he arrived last summer.
That hilarious quote on the balcony of the Tigers’ promotion parade was followed by Jakirovic delivering a line for the ages, professing that, ‘We are going to the Premier League.
Jakirovic was speaking on a day when more than 40,000 fans lined the streets of Hull and gathered in Queen Victoria Square to herald their heroes, celebrating their play-off final win over Middlesbrough on Saturday.
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“I have to say sorry,” said Jakirovic from the balcony. “I was brought here with one job to do: keep Hull City in the Championship. I failed, because we are going to the Premier League.”
Across Monday afternoon, from the moment the players and staff were given a rapturous send-off from the MKM Stadium as they set off on their 11-mile sightseeing tour of the city, to when they arrived at Hull City Hall, there were smiles as wide as the River Humber from fans of all ages.
“We’re bringing joy and togetherness,” the Croatian told Hull Live. “For just one day, you can forget the problems in your life. You see on every street how they appreciated what we did, and they’re truly happy about what we achieved, and they’re very proud. I’m very proud. They deserve everything.
“The fans all season have supported us; they’ve pushed us all over the country, spending their money. Sometimes we didn’t play good or well, but we tried to put all our strength and energy on the pitch. When I first arrived here, I said we will never surrender, and I think our team showed a winning mentality, especially in the play-offs.”
In the hours since Oli McBurnie’s triumphant goal in the 95th minute at Wembley, Jakirovic has been inundated with messages from friends, family and colleagues sending him congratulations.
Unlike many of his players who have barely slept in the hours since, partying at the Hilton at Wembley, before returning to the city and enjoying the weather on Humber Street, Jakirovic admits he’s been sleeping like a baby.
“I slept good, I had five or six hours. Even before the game, I slept very well. When I woke up on gameday, I was very calm, and I had a good feeling, I don’t know.
I’ve had so many messages from people everywhere, especially from the Balkan countries. I appreciate every single one of them, and I thank you for them. I spent three hours replying to some of them, and it means a lot. The least I can send is thank you for them taking the time to write to me. “
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