Hull City owner Acun Ilicali released a statement on Sunday addressing the current football governance discussion across the game as the bill goes through parliament, highlighting his concerns at the disparity in finances between those clubs in the Premier League and those in the Championship, who don’t have the benefit of parachute payments.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said it was “a historic moment for football fans” that the bill would come into effect after years of debate and counter-debate.
City’s statement on Sunday talked about the need to protect all levels of the game in England, and preserve the integrity of the sport which has come under threat in recent years, particularly with the attempts made by some clubs to join the breakaway Super League.
Vice-chairman Tan Kesler has been a regular at EFL meetings since arriving at the MKM Stadium with Ilicali in January 2022 and has been a strong voice in the need for something to be done, so Hull Live sat down with Kesler at City’s training camp at Regnum Carya in Antalya to get a greater understanding of where the Tigers sit and their feelings….
“Honestly, we felt we needed to make a statement on behalf of not only our fans but also for football fans in general. We’ve been in the ownership for two years now, and we’ve improved the club’s fan experience, and fan engagement massively. The numbers are one hundred per cent higher than what we had (when we arrived).
“We definitely support the white paper and the fan-led review. Something has to be done because football is not sustainable. EFL clubs are losing £450m.
