Hull City have been given the green light to appoint Sergej Jakirovic after the Bosnian and his two Croatian colleagues were granted permission to work in the UK, bringing his appointment at the MKM Stadium a step closer.
Jakirovic, who is currently on a short holiday with his family after the end of the Turkish Super Lig season on Sunday, has been given the necessary visa to start work at City following a short hearing on Wednesday, Hull Live can reveal. Talks with Kayserispor over his exit are understood to be nearing completion, with the Tigers paying compensation for the remaining 12 months on his contract.
Long-serving assistant Marko Salatovic is expected to come with Jakirovic. It’s understood he will also be joined by Marin Ivancic and Andjelo Roguljic at the MKM Stadium and work with existing coaches Andy Dawson and Erbil Bozkurt, while the club is considering further additions to the management setup.
Hull Live understands the Football Association has also approved the appointments. The new head coach could be unveiled at a press conference later this month, assuming all formalities with his exit from Kayserispor can be concluded as he looks to get to work quickly ahead of a crucial summer for City in their quest to enjoy a better campaign next term.
Jakirovic has never managed in England before, but will be given his first opportunity after being head-hunted by owner Acun Ilicali, having emerged as his first choice to replace Ruben Selles.
Selles was sacked just under two weeks after the Championship season ended with the Tigers securing safety on the final day of the season with a 1-1 draw at Portsmouth. City escaped relegation to League One on goal difference with Luton Town suffering a second consecutive relegation.
Ilicali is understood to have been impressed by the job Jakirovic has done at Keyserispor since arriving in late January. The Kayseri club were mired in a relegation battle when he took charge, but guided them well away from danger and ended up finishing 13th.
The season ended last Sunday with a 2-1 loss at Samsunspor, with the hosts scoring in the 95th and 98th minutes to overturn a 1-0 deficit to secure a Europa League place. By that point, Jakirovic had been pelted by bottles from home fans and was bizarrely sent off 13 minutes from time.
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