Acun explains City passion and desire after the toughest year of his career

THE TIGERS' CHIEF HAS SPOKEN CANDIDLY ABOUT HIS STRUGGLES OVER THE PAST 12 MONTHS AND HIS DETERMINATION TO DELIVER A POSITIVE SEASON FOR THE CLUB'S SUPPORTERS

- By BARRY COOPER

Hull City owner Acun Ilicali has spoken for the first time since opting to call time on his year-long spell as vice-president at Fenerbahce, and says his passion for the Tigers remains as strong as it was on the first day he arrived.

Ilicali opted to walk away from the Turkish giants last week and says being involved with a football superpower like Fenerbahce was a huge commitment, both in terms of time, focus and energy, revealing the past 12 months have been the toughest of his career.

Now, as he heads into his fourth full season at the MKM Stadium, he says he has exactly the same passion and feeling for the Tigers as he did on the day he bought the club from the Allams back in January 2022, ahead of what is arguably the biggest and most important season yet under his stewardship.

City went from play-off challengers under Liam Rosenior to relegation candidates last season. On the final day of what was a hugely difficult campaign for a host of reasons, City avoided relegation to League One on goal difference. That path, for now, has been well-trodden.

The man who guided City to safety, Ruben Selles, has made his exit, and in his place is Bosnian Sergej Jakirovic. The former Dinamo Zagreb and Kayserispor head coach has arrived with a bullish, confident belief he can win promotion with some fine-tuning over the course of the summer transfer window. It may sound mad to repeat those words after the campaign just gone, but you have to admire Jakirovic's inner belief.

"I had the responsibility inside Fenerbahce for one year, which I'm extremely proud of, of course," Ilicali said. "As a businessman, with businesses in the Dominican Republic and Istanbul, after I bought Hull City, I could still organise everything, though it was not easy. When I became vice-president of Fenerbahce, it was a big responsibility and one I loved. I could handle it, but it was heavy for me.