Acun Ilicali warns of 'big mess' if Hull City v Southampton play-off final is moved | OneFootball

The Tigers confirmed their own place in the Wembley final last Monday

Acun Ilicali will be realising one of his biggest dreams as owner of Hull City in the coming days, with the Tigers potentially just 90 or 120-plus minutes away from ending a nine-year exile from the Premier League.

The Turkish media mogul has certainly brought plenty of focus in the past four-and-a-half years, after he initially acquired City for a reported £30m from the Allam family in January 2022 ahead of a 2-0 home success over Blackburn Rovers.

A plethora of decisions made during said timeframe have certainly divided opinion, and that was initially the case when the 56-year-old opted to part ways with Ruben Selles 12 months ago, just days after the Spaniard helped the club preserve their Championship status on goal difference, eventually replacing him with Bosnian boss, Sergej Jakirovic.

However, the Tigers were immediately made favourites for relegation to League One before a ball was kicked this season after being hit with a two-window transfer fee restriction.

But, after initially sliding out of the play-offs following 24 consecutive matchdays in the top six, Jakirovic's side earned a 2-1 win over Norwich City on the final day to secure a two-legged semi-final with Millwall, which they won 2-0 as a result of their second leg performance at The Den.

In normal circumstances, the East Yorkshire outfit would be preparing to take on Southampton, as Tonda Eckert's side defeated Middlesbrough 2-1 over two legs, but the upcoming 'richest game' in club football has been plunged into doubt due to the spygate scandal, leaving Ilicali to make a clear demand ahead of Saturday's 'planned' 4:30PM kick-off.

Acun Ilicali sets out clear demand amid Hull City v Southampton play-off final jeopardy

The aforementioned scandal is currently in the hands of an independent disciplinary commission.

A verdict was initially set to break later on Tuesday, May 19th, after a 9:00AM start. However, it has now been claimed that a final decision on Saints' fate may not come to light until Wednesday, after an intern analyst was adjudged to have been photographing and recording Middlesbrough training sessions at Rockliffe Park ahead of the semi-final first leg at the Riverside Stadium.

This initially caused ticketing information to be released later than planned, with Hull and Saints subsequently selling thousands of tickets, with the Tigers even seeing their allocation rise to approximately 38,000 at the start of this week.

It was initially confirmed by sporting director, Jared Dublin, that City were planning for a Wembley showdown with Saints, before Jakirovic issued his own thoughts, saying the saga has caused "collateral damage" to the Tigers.

And now with the initial pencilled fixture looming large, Ilicali has issued his clear thoughts on the matter.

"Please don't spoil a beautiful day for our beautiful fans," he told ITV Calendar.

"I really underline that this game, I think, has to be played on Saturday," Ilicali stated. "Because of the damage to our fans' organisation (of getting to Wembley), the psychological damage of the club. Everything would be a mess.

Asked how he would feel if the game was to be postponed to a later date, the City chairman added: "Very disappointed.

"If we are talking about Middlesbrough being brought to the game because of a decision like this, it would be a big mess. Of course.

"Our feelings are less important than the decision, so we are waiting for tomorrow (Tuesday.)

When quizzed on whether a re-arranged fixture would cause Jakirovic and his squad major issues, he continued: "I'm not a guy who makes reasons (excuses) in life.

"For me, you just have to focus and go for your aims and targets.

"I say, yes, there will be a disadvantage. But, we are strong enough to overcome any difficulty.

"I believe in my players, my coach, and we are fully determined.

"Difficulties can happen in life, but we are a strong team. We have a strong coach and players, and big fans, with who I feel comfortable about our future."

Hull City have overcome plenty of difficulties to initially reach the play-off final

As Ilicali mentioned, the mentality of Jakirovic and his squad has been the key reason behind why Hull have continuously defied the odds this season.

On top of the aforementioned transfer limitations, the 49-year-old head coach has seen many crucial players suffer injuries at critical points of the season, but until the very last month of the regular campaign, City had only gone a maximum of two games without victory in any run of form.

It is perhaps unsurprising that key club members have referenced the impact uncertainty is having on those players, as well as frustrated supporters, but whenever the game is played, it is also likely to add further motivation to the Tigers players when they take to the North London pitch.