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Hull City edged into a play-off spot in the English Championship on Saturday, sealing their place at the last moment as Turkish owner Acun Ilicali was overcome with emotion after the result kept their Premier League ambitions alive.
The side moved into sixth place with a 2-1 home win over Norwich City, overturning a one-goal deficit behind Wrexham heading into the final round. Wrexham’s 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough opened the door, allowing Hull to edge into the play-off positions.
Ilicali was visibly emotional after the final whistle, struggling to hold back tears as his team confirmed a place in the play-offs.
Speaking after the match, Ilicali described the outcome as the result of sustained effort from both players and supporters.
"This result reflects the work our players put in on the pitch and the support our fans have given all season," he noted, adding that he feels proud of the team’s character.
Looking ahead, Ilicali made it clear that the club’s objective remains promotion. "We have play-off matches in front of us. We want to keep moving forward with the same unity and belief to reach our goal," he told Anadolu Agency. "The fate of the whole city would change."
Ilicali, 56, is a Turkish media mogul who runs a wide entertainment business spanning television, digital streaming and international production, including channels TV8 and TV8.5, as well as the subscription platform Exxen through his company Acun Medya.
He built his fortune on reality television formats such as Survivor, The Voice and MasterChef, rolling them out across multiple countries while expanding a global content network.
Ilicali has owned Hull City since 2022, after taking a majority stake for $24 million, according to Turkish media.
With all 12 matches played at the same time in the final round, the standings shifted rapidly.
Hull’s win proved enough to lift them into sixth place, joining Millwall, Southampton, and Middlesbrough in the play-off race.
The semi-final ties are now set, with Hull facing Millwall over two legs, while Southampton meets Middlesbrough. The matches are scheduled for May 8-9 and May 11-12.
The club, which last featured in the Premier League in the 2016/17 season, stands to secure a significant financial boost if it wins promotion, with estimated revenues ranging between £120 million and £170 million from broadcast, commercial and central distributions.
At the top of the table, Coventry and Ipswich secured automatic promotion to the Premier League, while Oxford United, Leicester City, and Sheffield Wednesday were relegated.
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