EPL: Hull must stay up this season before aiming bigger — Club owner - Punch Newspapers
Hull City owner Acun Ilıcalı says his immediate priority is to keep the club in the Premier League this season before seeking to establish it as a sustainable top-flight brand. Ilıcalı, speaking to Sky Sports News in a video shared on Saturday, said his ambition for Hull had progressed gradually since he took over the club, beginning with a top-10 finish before the side eventually secured promotion to the Premier League. “Yeah, first of all, step by step. I said to our fans when I came to the club, I said I want to go step by step. First, top 10 was my target. “Actually, we missed three points in the play-offs in my second year. So my target was top 10 and after that play-off push, then we went to play-offs, then Premier League. “Now, the only thing I’m trying to do with the team is to stay in the Premier League for this year,” Ilıcalı said. João Pedro nets in Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Hull City | ESPN Ilıcalı said securing top-flight survival would then allow him to pursue a longer-term model aimed at establishing Hull as a recognised Premier League club. “If we can stay in the Premier League this year, hopefully, then I will want to make a brand,” he said. Camara focused on Monaco season after Chelsea deal falls through EPL: Spurs go four games without scoring after 0-0 draw with Everton EPL: Alonso wants ‘boring’ Chelsea wins after Hull hold Blues to 2-2 draw The Turkish businessman pointed to Brentford and Brighton as examples of clubs whose approaches to football he admires. “There are two, three teams that I really like their approach to football. Brentford, their sporting director is fantastic, by the way. “Apart from that, Brighton. These teams, I think, managed to be a brand in the Premier League for a long time,” he said. Hull returned to the Premier League this season after securing promotion from the Championship, and have made an unbeaten start to their top-flight campaign. PUNCH Online reports that before Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, the newly promoted side had taken seven points from their opening three matches, including a 2-0 win over Manchester United and an away victory against Championship winners Coventry City. The draw with Chelsea took Hull’s tally to eight points from four matches after having played a 0-0 draw in matchweek three against Villa. Tosin Oyediran Tosin Oyediran is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over eight years of professional experience in reporting and storytelling. He is known for conducting incisive interviews and producing compelling human-angle stories that bring clarity and depth to the news. Tosin covers a broad range of beats including politics, health, advocacy, sports, and entertainment, with a strong focus on people-centred reporting. His work reflects firsthand newsroom experience, editorial insight, and a commitment to accurate, engaging, and trustworthy journalism.
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