Hull City owner Acun Ilicali said on Saturday the club would pursue legal action if they failed to secure promotion in the Championship play-off final, amid continued controversy over Middlesbrough’s reinstatement to the competition.
Middlesbrough were originally eliminated in the play-off semi-finals by Southampton but were later restored to the competition after Southampton admitted to spying on their opponents’ training sessions and were expelled following disciplinary proceedings.
Speaking outside Wembley Stadium ahead of the final, Ilicali said Hull’s legal advisers had recommended pursuing the matter through legal channels.”Our legal team says that we have to go for action, that’s for sure,” Ilicali told BBC Radio Humberside.
The Turkish businessman described the decision to allow Middlesbrough back into the play-offs as “unbelievable”, arguing that if Southampton’s actions warranted expulsion, the competition should have been adjusted differently.”If this action was so big that a team is out of the play-offs, why didn’t they stop the semi-final, investigate and take Southampton out and put Wrexham in?” he said.”Why is Wrexham out now? Put Wrexham in and continue the competition.”
Ilicali said both he and Hull’s legal team believed the decision to reinstate an eliminated team was fundamentally flawed.The 56-year old who acquired Hull City in 2022, said he had deliberately avoided discussing the issue publicly before the final in order not to distract the players.
The controversy has cast a shadow over the Championship play-offs, with questions continuing to be raised over the handling of Southampton’s expulsion and Middlesbrough’s return to the competition.