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Hull City’s search for a new manager took a new twist on Friday as one controversial figure emerged as a leading candidate to take over at the MKM Stadium.
It was finally announced on Thursday that Hull City sacked Ruben Selles as manager, despite him keeping the Tigers in the Championship on the final day.
Ultimately, Acun Ilicali wasn’t pleased with Hull’s form at the business end of the campaign, with City winning just two of their final matches and ending as the division’s lowest scorers.
With some supporters already outraged at the decision to dismiss Selles, it’s become imperative that Ilicali gets the next appointment correct, as most of the fanbase are already losing patience in him.
We exclusively revealed that former midfielder George Boateng is keen on the Hull City job, with the Ghanaian becoming a surprise candidate. Meanwhile, one controversial figure has now emerged as a front-runner for the vacancy, and fans are livid.
- READ MORE: EFL expert gives honest verdict on Hull City decision over Ruben Selles as ‘disaster’ looms
Hull City fans react angrily to Emre Belozoglu links
The preference for supporters was hiring a manager who has experience winning promotion out of the Championship, someone like Dean Smith.
But it appears Ilicali hasn’t learned from his previous mistakes, as the Turkish TV mogul wants to dip into the foreign market for his next manager, despite failing with the appointments of Shota Arveladze and Tim Walter.
Fans’ worst fears materialised on Friday when BBC Journalist Mike White reported that Antalyaspor manager Emre Belozoglu emerged as the ‘leading candidate’ to take over at the MKM Stadium, someone who has a very controversial past.
In 2014, Belozoglu was given a two-and-a-half-month suspended prison sentence for a racist slur he used against Ivorian midfielder Didier Zokora during a match in 2012.
That is just one of the many instances of Belozoglu has been involved in, and considering he’s now been strongly linked to the Hull job, supporters have had enough with Ilicali.
“This is an absolute disgrace. Jobs for the boys. This boy being a convicted racist,” one fan commented.
“He’s well and truly lost the plot if this appointment happens Mike,” another replied.
“I think if this happens I will cancel my pass genuinely can’t even be arsed, embarrassing,” someone else wrote.
“Please text him saying we don’t want him @mikewhitesport this is an awful appointment and he will lose all the fans!!” another exclaimed while a sixth replied: “Words fail me! He’ll lose the fanbase if this is who he appoints.”
“Absolutely mental,” a seventh said.
Acun Ilicali is quickly losing the fanbase
It’s been a detrimental year for Hull. Last season, they finished seventh under Liam Rosenior, who was then controversially sacked, and now they’ve just narrowly avoided relegation.
- READ MORE: ‘Excellent’ Hull City player could be in line for shock Premier League move ‘late on this summer’
But even after their 21st place finish, it’s matters behind the scenes that could result in Ilicali losing the fanbase completely.
Sacking Selles was one thing, but considering Belozoglu as his replacement suggests he’s lost the plot and there is no coming back from it if he does.