The 'Turkish Simon Cowell': Who is Hull City's new owner Acun Ilicali?

Acun Ilicali was recently in the stands for Hull City's recent FA Cup game against Everton

Turkish businessman Acun Ilicali has taken over as the new owner of Hull City.

The 52-year-old has bought the club from Assem Allam for around £30 million. The media mogul is well known in his homeland but will be an unfamiliar name to many on these shores.

Here, our sports reporter Arif Ahmed looks at the rags to riches story of the man dubbed the 'Turkish Simon Cowell'.

Early Life

Born in Edirne, North Turkey, Ilicali spent his early years in the province of Erzurum before moving to Istanbul for education.

He first studied English Teaching at the University of Istanbul before dropping out to get into the media business.

Career

As a jobless and penniless 24-year-old, Acun found employment as a football reporter for a TV channel earning around £12.50 a week.

After working his way up, he later diversified and began hosting a variety of entertainment and travel programmes, quickly becoming one of the most recognised names in Turkey.

In 2004 Ilicali created his own production company, Acun Medy, which bought the rights to shows such as The Voice and Deal or No Deal.

Ilicali has been referred to as the Turkish version of Simon Cowell, having hosted or presented such shows.

In 2016 he launched channel TV8.5, creating a number of entertainment programmes that have been watched in countries around Europe and South America.

  • Turkish journalist Alp Ulugay chronicles Acun Ilicali's life.

Football

Ilicali is a lifelong football fan and in 2020 he entered a partnership with compatriot Özgür Işıtan Gün to buy Dutch team Fortuna Sittard.

Less than a year later, though, Ilicali cut ties with the club with ambitions to buy his own football club.

Hull City

In May 2021 Ilicali began negotiations with Hull City to purchase the club from the Allam family who had put the club up for sale five years ago.

He got his first taste of watching Hull in the flesh earlier this month.

Ilicali was in the stands to watch Hull's narrow 3-2 defeat to Premier League side, Everton, in the FA Cup Third Round.

The sale was agreed between both parties and signed off by the EFL allowing Ilicali to complete his takeover of the East Yorkshire side.