'Hull City will survive': fans back owner after pundit row
Hull City owner Acun Ilicali has hit back after Joe Cole and Carlton Cole mocked the club's Premier League survival chances on a podcast, while supporters told AOL they still believe the promoted Tigers will stay up despite widespread relegation predictions.
The dispute flared ahead of Hull's opening-day visit to Manchester United on Saturday, their first top-flight campaign since Ilicali bought the club in 2022. On "The Dressing Room" podcast, Joe Cole said he switched his phone to "Do not disturb" when TNT Sports asked him to cover Hull's opener, declaring: "Hull are gone, man."
Co-host Carlton Cole laughed as Cole claimed Hull had "slipped in" through the "back door" after spending £70 million. ESPN reported that Cole was never scheduled for TNT's broadcast team. Michael Owen had earlier suggested the club "shouldn't have been promoted."
Key Takeaways
- Hull City owner Acun Ilicali called ex-players' mockery "more laughable" than the club they ridiculed.
- Hull have invested over £70 million this summer, including deals worth more than £20 million each for Nobel Mendy and Konstantinos Tzolakis.
- Manager Sergej Jakirovic said proving pundits wrong is motivation for the season ahead.
- AOL readers said the club earned promotion on merit and deserves respect, not lazy write-offs.
- Ilicali told the BBC that reaching the Premier League in four and a half years is his biggest business achievement.
What did Joe Cole say about Hull City?
Speaking on "The Dressing Room," Cole said TNT Sports tried to "slip in" a Hull assignment on the season's first day. He added: "They've spent 70 million. I'll be stunned if they stay up."
His remarks followed Michael Owen's suggestion that Hull should not have been promoted, referencing their long odds at the start of the 2025-26 campaign. Hull ultimately won the play-off final at Wembley to secure a front-door return to the Premier League.
How did the Hull City owner respond?
In a post on X, chairman Acun Ilicali said it was "disappointing" to see his city criticised by people "who should know better." He wrote that Hull is "one of the most beautiful places in the world" and that seeing two ex-players mock a deservedly promoted club was "more laughable than the things they were laughing at."
Speaking to BBC Radio Humberside, Ilicali said promotion ranked as "number one" among his career achievements. "I didn't have enough money to buy football shirts when I was a kid, now I'm the owner of a club in the Premier League," he said. "You can imagine what it means to me."
What do Hull City fans think about the pundits?
AOL asked supporters for their views after Cole, Carlton Cole and Wayne Bridge faced scrutiny over podcast comments. Andy said pundits have "no idea" about Hull's squad-building and predicted: "Hull City will survive." Mark argued ex-players were making the club's journey "about them," while Matt insisted the Tigers were in the Premier League "on merit" after winning the play-offs "fair and square."
Chris praised the owner, manager and supporters, calling it a "shame" on those who laugh at the club. Manager Jakirovic told reporters he saw predictions as motivation. "We don't have anything to lose," he said, according to ESPN.
Can Hull City prove the doubters wrong?
Hull's summer spending includes goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis and defender Nobel Mendy, while midfielder Hidemasa Morita could feature against United after faster-than-expected recovery from a calf strain. The club has faced financial scrutiny, with accounts showing underlying losses rising to £41.7 million, and narrowly avoided League One relegation on goal difference in May 2025.
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