during the Sky Bet Championship match at Fratton Park, Portsmouth Picture by Jeremy Landey/Focus Images Ltd 07747773987 03/05/2025
May 04, 2025 12:24 AM GMT+03:00
Fenerbahce Vice President Acun Ilicali’s team, Hull City, faced a decisive final match in England’s Championship as it battled relegation threats. In a tense final-week fixture against Portsmouth, Hull City managed to secure its place in the league, albeit narrowly.
Heading into the final week within the relegation zone, Hull City drew 1-1 away at Portsmouth, managing to stay in the league on goal difference. With the draw, Ilicali’s team ensured it would continue competing in the Championship next season.
Hull City and Portsmouth players clash during a decisive relegation battle on the final matchday of the Championship season at KCOM Stadium in Hull, UK, on May 3, 2025. (Photo via X/HullCity)
Following the crucial result, Ilicali and Hull City’s board members were seen celebrating enthusiastically in the stands, while Luton Town—level on points but with a goal difference of -24—was relegated.
Acun Ilicali and Hull City board members embrace in emotional celebration after securing Championship survival at KCOM Stadium in Hull, UK, on May 3, 2025. (Photo via X/HullCity)
Meanwhile, Ilicali is also under pressure in Türkiye, where he serves as vice president of Fenerbahce. Despite high expectations for ending the club’s long title drought, the team has come under criticism for trailing in the Super Lig as the season nears its end.
Fenerbahce, managed by Jose Mourinho, currently sits in second place, eight points behind Galatasaray, with a game in hand and five matches remaining.
Fenerbahce head coach Jose Mourinho appears visibly tense as title pressure mounts ahead of the season’s final weeks, pictured in front of the club emblem in Istanbul, Türkiye, accessed on May 3, 2025. (AA Photo)
On Sunday at 7:00 p.m. local time, Fenerbahce will host its archrival Besiktas at Ulker Stadium in Istanbul.
Acun Ilicali is a 55-year-old Turkish media mogul, entrepreneur, and television producer, best known as the founder and chairman of Acunmedya, one of the world’s leading independent production companies. He also owns and operates the national television channel TV8, which broadcasts a range of popular entertainment and news programs. Over the years, Ilicali has expanded his media footprint internationally, producing content in multiple countries and building a global audience through successful reality formats and strategic partnerships.
Acun Ilicali has owned English football club Hull City since 2022, following his acquisition of the Championship side as part of his broader expansion into international sports investments.
May 04, 2025 12:35 AM GMT+03:00
