The Special Relationship Between Liam Rosenior and Acun Ilicali Fueling Hull City’s Push for Promotion
Hull City is gearing up to recover from a loss against Southampton, aiming for success in their upcoming match against Birmingham on Wednesday night.
Liam Rosenior is a manager who doesn’t hesitate to highlight his strong bond with Hull City’s owner, Acun Ilicali, despite Ilicali’s hands-on approach as a Turkish businessman.
In a time when many managers across the country might prefer to maintain a distance from their club’s owner or minimize their involvement, Rosenior is someone who embraces the enthusiastic and passionate Ilicali.
Ilicali’s devotion to Hull City is all-encompassing; his Istanbul residence, which also serves as the headquarters for Acun Medya, is adorned with Hull City memorabilia, and most of his conversations revolve around the management of the East Yorkshire club. Rosenior regards this deep passion as an asset, not a hindrance.
Rosenior and Ilicali maintain regular communication, and after every game, Ilicali is more than willing to share his views on tactics, recruitment, and even the design of the team’s kits. Rosenior sees this as a passion that should be embraced and leveraged, not feared.
The two have built a unique bond that many managers would envy, and Ilicali believes he has one of the most promising young managers in the country, as well as the best in the Championship.
This manager-owner relationship may be unconventional, but Rosenior values it and believes it is in the best interest of Hull City as they aspire to secure a place in the Premier League as the season unfolds.
Rosenior expressed his appreciation for the close relationship, stating, “I love it. I call him and ask him for advice on everything. It has to be a fit. Some managers may avoid such communication with an owner, but I’m open to it. Acun invests his money, time, passion, and energy into the club, so out of respect for his dedication, I don’t see why I wouldn’t want to involve him in our decision-making process or seek his opinion.”
He emphasized that this approach doesn’t reflect weak management; in fact, both Ilicali and Tan Kesler have provided valuable advice that influenced his decisions. The key is aligning their perspectives to understand why things worked when they did and why they didn’t when they didn’t. Rosenior intends to maintain this collaborative approach for as long as they’ll have him.
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