Hull City owner Acun Ilicali, 56, vowed to pursue legal action if Hull City fail to win the Championship play-off final against Middlesbrough on Saturday after a spying scandal reshaped the competition [1, 2].
The English Football League ruled on June 24 that Southampton were guilty of spying on Middlesbrough's training session before the play-off semi-final and expelled Southampton from the play-offs [1, 2]. Middlesbrough were reinstated in Southampton’s place, setting up their final clash with Hull City on June 27 [1, 2].
Ilicali described the decision to allow Middlesbrough back into the competition as "unbelievable" and "incredibly wrong," claiming it denied Wrexham, who missed the playoffs, a rightful place [1, 2]. He said, "If this action was so big that a team is out of the play-offs, why didn't they... put Wrexham in and continue the competition?" [2]. He added, "For me, an eliminated team put back — also our lawyers say this and that's their opinion too — is an incredibly wrong decision" [2].
Hull City's legal counsel advised pursuing action against the reinstatement ruling. "Our legal team says that we have to go for action, that's for sure. So we have no doubt about it," Ilicali said. "Here, all we want is justice. If justice is broken, nobody will enjoy football" [1].
Before the match at Wembley, Ilicali spoke outside the stadium to express his frustrations but said he had waited until the players were inside to avoid distracting them. "Now I can talk a little more because now the boys are in the stadium and they will not hear me. I didn't want to make their focus disturbed," he explained. "But of course we have to focus on the game and the boys are tough enough to overcome these difficulties" [1].
Hull City's team coach arrived at Wembley with a smashed window, though the cause and responsibility remain unclear [2].
Hull City face Middlesbrough in the play-off final on June 28, with Ilicali’s legal threat casting a shadow over the game and its aftermath [1, 2].
