Acun Ilicali Dreams of Chelsea Showdown as Hull City Target FA Cup Progress

Hull City owner Acun Ilicali has revealed his dream FA Cup scenario, admitting he would relish the prospect of facing Chelsea — but only if it comes in the final at Wembley.

The Tigers begin their FA Cup campaign on Sunday afternoon with a third-round clash against Championship rivals Blackburn Rovers, as they look to progress beyond this stage for the first time since the 2019/20 season. On that occasion, City reached the fourth round before being eliminated by Chelsea.

Since that brief run, which coincided with their relegation to League One, Hull have exited the competition at the third-round stage in each of the last five seasons, having also fallen in the second round the year before while playing in the third tier.

Sunday’s 2:30pm kick-off at the MKM Stadium will mark the fourth time Ilicali has watched Hull contest a third-round tie since taking ownership of the club nearly four years ago, and the Turkish businessman is eager to finally see his side take the next step.

Blackburn, however, will pose a stern challenge. Rovers claimed a convincing 3-0 victory at the MKM Stadium earlier this season, although Hull were affected by a virus outbreak in the build-up to that fixture. Despite enduring a difficult campaign overall, Blackburn boast one of the stronger away records in the Championship, having won five of their 12 matches on the road.

“We haven’t managed to get past the third round since I became owner nearly four years ago, and I would really love for us to do it this season,” Ilicali told Hull Live. “Of course, it won’t be easy against Blackburn. They are a good team, but so are we.”

Should Hull manage to overcome Rovers and secure a place in the fourth round, Ilicali is keen to avoid an early meeting with Chelsea, now managed by former Tigers head coach Liam Rosenior. However, he admits the idea of facing the Blues at Wembley is an enticing one.

“I wouldn’t like to meet Chelsea in the fourth or fifth round, whether at home or away at Stamford Bridge,” he said with a smile. “If we get past Rovers, the only place I’d want to face Liam’s team this season is in the FA Cup final at Wembley in May. And if we were to lose to Chelsea there, it wouldn’t be so painful — because it would be at Wembley.”