Sergei Yakilovic speaks after Hull City’s win over Middlesbrough (Image: Sky Sports)
Hull City manager Sergei Yakilovic joked that his players would “burn down the hotel” after winning the Championship play-off final to seal their return to the Premier League. The Tigers won a tense match 1-0 at Wembley thanks to Oli McBurnie’s 94th-minute winner. This means Hull will be back in the top flight next season for the first time since the 2016-17 season, when they dropped to League One in 2021.
Hull are set to earn at least £205m over the next three seasons thanks to this win. And an elated Croatian coach Jakilovic told Sky Sports: “I think we’re going to burn this hotel down today! It’s 100 per cent (party) tonight. Tomorrow we go back to Hull and on Monday it’s an open bus (parade).”
McBurney told the same station that he planned to have a celebratory beer or two this evening. Asked if he would limit the amount of beer the Scots goalscorer drinks, Jakilović replied simply: “As a head coach you know, you can’t control this! I’m not a police officer. What’s most important to me is on the pitch. I don’t care about my personal life at all.”
The 49-year-old former defender added: “It’s a great feeling. I still can’t believe we achieved it because we were struggling the whole game. We might have had two chances in the first half. After 15 minutes the shape changed.”
“We had problems in the first 15 minutes. We were waiting for transitions and chances, but it was so hot. It was like the end of the regular season and the start of a whole new tournament no matter how many points we got. Millwall had 10 points more than us.”
“The important thing is pressure. In the regular season, you have time to fix everything. This is a very demanding, very difficult league. I have worked in Turkey, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, but it is a little different. There are a lot of games and the intensity is incredible.”
Yakilović also joked that owner Akun Ilikari owes him and the team “a lot of presents”, saying: “I’m very happy because we hit it off from the first time we met. He called me the next day and said he wanted to appoint me right away and we have three more games to play in Turkey before we finish the championship!”
“I have 100 percent support and they believe in us (me and the staff). Without this trust we can’t do anything. This is very important. It’s great. We have six or seven weeks of rest now and then we go there. I think the club already has a list of players (to sign) for the Premier League.”
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Sergei Yakilovich speaks on the pundits panel after Hull City’s win (Image: Sky Sports)
Goalscorer McBurney, who finished the season with 19 goals, said: “For the first time, I think I’m speechless! It’s been a long, tough season, but today’s game summed it up for us. We came in and knew we weren’t going to have full possession of the ball. I don’t think we’ve ever won a game this year with more possession than our opponents!”
“It was tough with the heat and Middlesbrough are a top, top team and we knew we were going to go head-to-head with it, but we felt we only had one chance and it was written to be taken.
“I didn’t think it would be this late, but what a feeling. When I first moved to Sheffield United, that’s what they expected from me and I guess I wasn’t ready to be that person.”
“As I’ve grown and gotten older and become more mature, I think I’ve grown into the role and I’m enjoying it. I couldn’t sleep last night because I was looking forward to this game so much!”
Hull have beaten Bristol City in 2008 and Sheffield Wednesday in 2016 by the same scoreline, winning all three of their Second Division play-off finals 1-0.
They become the first club since Blackpool in 2010 to finish sixth in the Championship standings and be promoted to the Premier League.
