Hull City owner Acun Ilicali has indicated he may pursue legal action after the Championship play-off final, insisting that his club has a strong case for direct promotion to the Premier League following Southampton’s expulsion.
The East Yorkshire side are set to face Middlesbrough at Wembley on Saturday, with a coveted spot in the top flight at stake. While fans eagerly anticipate the clash at the national stadium, Ilicali claims that legal advice suggests Hull should rightfully advance to the Premier League as the last team standing.
This argument stems from Southampton being removed from contention for admitting to spying on other teams, alongside the elimination of Middlesbrough and Millwall, before the former were brought back in to replace Southampton.
Ilicali has temporarily halted legal discussions to ensure full focus remains on Saturday’s crucial match, but he has not dismissed the possibility of revisiting the matter in the future.
“This is something we have to discuss with our lawyers,” he told the Press Association at Hull’s training ground on Thursday. “I stopped every communication in our club yesterday evening, everybody focus on the game, even I don’t want to talk (about) anything, because there is a game and we have to enjoy it.”
He continued, expressing frustration over the distraction: “So I cannot say anything about the future at the moment. All I can say is I wish nothing had happened and we could enjoy 10 days with the final enjoyment, but unfortunately eight of these 10 days are gone because of all the discussions, but life is harder than you expect all the time.”
Ilicali further elaborated on his legal team’s perspective: “Our lawyers think actually that it’s not fair an eliminated team have come back and go to the final. That’s so simple, but is it, at the moment, time to talk about it? No. So I would just stop this conversation for today. It’s 48 hours now, and we are fully focused on this game.”
The owner lauded Hull’s players as “heroes” for their resilience in handling the uncertainty surrounding their play-off opponents and schedule.
While the winners of the play-off final are estimated to secure a revenue uplift of £205 million over three seasons, even if they only survive one year in the Premier League, Ilicali insisted his primary motivation was not financial.
“I didn’t go into the football business to make money, but it will mean a lot for the power of the team and for the team’s future,” he stated. “I believe in destiny.
“If it is good for us to go to the Premier League this year, let’s go, but if it’s going to be a bad future for us for this year and we will suffer in the Premier League, it’s better we go next year. Whatever happens for me, it is the reason, and I believe in destiny.”
