Sergej Jakirovic vows to respond to relegation barbs as Hull prepare Premier League return
Sergej Jakirovic said he will answer recent criticism as his Hull City side prepare to return to the Premier League at the MKM Stadium on Saturday in their first top-flight fixtures since winning promotion.
Jakirovic addressed 40,000 supporters from the balcony of Hull City Hall on a baking spring bank holiday after Oli McBurnie’s late goal secured a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough in the Championship playoff final 48 hours earlier, clinching promotion. Hull had narrowly avoided relegation to League One on goal difference in 2024-25, and last season’s ascent was the club’s fourth promotion to the Premier League since 2008. The 49-year-old, described by the source as an intriguing character and raconteur, led a new-look side into the top tier.
Bookmakers and pundits have written Hull off, with former England duo Carlton Cole and Joe Cole among those who ridiculed the club on their podcast; Joe Cole said: “Hull are gone, man,” and added: “They have spent £70m and I’d be stunned if they stay up. They have come in through the back door, they’ve slipped in.” Jakirovic responded in a bullish mood before the match, saying: “I’m buzzing. Of course there’s a very big gap between the Championship and Premier League. We’re up against the best teams, players and managers and I’ve seen all the predictions. But it’s a great motivation to prove them wrong because we don’t have anything to lose.”
On the scale of the task, Jakirovic stressed the need for progress while reiterating clear targets for survival: “What we did last season was a very big achievement, but this is football and what happened yesterday doesn’t matter any more. We want to improve and show that we can develop to do even better as a team – and of course we need another miracle to survive. It will be an even bigger achievement than winning promotion if we manage to stay up. We need 40 points, so everything is very clear.”
Asked about the remarks from both Coles that provoked a furious backlash from Tigers fans, Jakirovic said: “It was stupid and disrespectful towards the club and players because we earned everything on the pitch – nobody gave us anything for free. It’s not fair, especially when it’s coming from ex-players who know how hard players work to reach the Premier League. If they were in my position they would fight, so it’s easy to say we’ll finish 20th, but can they bet on that? They can put everything on that or they can lose, so we will see. But we’re not here by accident.”
Hull’s chairman Acun Ilicali has said he will keep faith with Jakirovic even if the club are relegated, and the club have made 11 new signings, several of whom are currently injured, while breaking the club’s transfer record twice. The recruitment drive has been described by some as scattergun and is ongoing. Jakirovic said: “We’re expecting three or four more players. We’ve signed some good players with potential, but I’m also aware that they need more time to adapt and build chemistry with the team. Mr Chairman and I have had a very good connection since our first meeting and we do everything together. In all decisions, we are always speaking and trying to improve our team in many ways.”
Jakirovic’s personal history was recalled in the profile of his rise: born in Mostar and brought up in Metkovic, he lived through running from fighter plane bombings and taking shelter during the 1990s Balkan wars. The imposing former centre-half had a playing career that included spells in Slovakia, Slovenia and Bulgaria before moving into management, and Hull was his eighth club in nine years when he arrived last summer. On his temperament and preparation he said: “I always sleep like a baby because this is just sport at the end of the day. I have to be fresh on Saturday; I also need to show my potential and prove that I can handle this stage. And I don’t have any doubt because I’ve showed already that I’m capable of doing some great things.”
Hull will host Manchester United at the MKM Stadium on Saturday lunchtime.