Hull manager threatens to burn down hotel and gives green light for boozy party | Football | Sport

Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic joked that his players will “burn down the hotel” after winning the Championship play-off final to seal a return to the Premier League. The Tigers clinched a tense contest 1-0 at Wembley thanks to Oli McBurnie’s 94th-minute winner. It means Hull will be back in the top flight next season for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign having even dropped down to League One in 2021.

Thanks to their victory, Hull also stand to receive an increase in revenue of at least £205million across the next three seasons. And their delighted Croatian boss Jakirovic told Sky Sports: “Today I think we will burn down this hotel! Tonight 100 per cent [we party]. Tomorrow we go back to Hull and Monday it’s an open bus [parade].”

McBurnie told the same broadcaster that he’ll be treating himself to one or two celebratory beers this evening. Asked if he’ll be limiting how many beers the goalscorer Scot drinks, Jakirovic replied that he doesn’t care and said simply: “You know as a head coach, you can’t control this! I’m not a police officer. For me on the pitch is most important. I don’t care about private life at all.”

The 49-year-old former defender added: “It’s an amazing feeling. I still can’t believe we did it because we suffered a lot all game. We had maybe two good chances first half. After 15 minutes we changed our shape.

“We had problems first 15 minutes. We were waiting for our opportunity, the transitions, but it was very hot. The regular season was over and this was like starting a completely new tournament, no matter how many points you won. Millwall had 10 points more than us.

“It’s about pressure. In the regular season, you have time to fix everything. This is a very, very demanding, very difficult league. I have been working in Turkey, in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and it’s a little bit different. The intensity, with lots of games, is unbelievable.”

Jakirovic also joked that owner Acun Ilicali owes him and his squad “a lot of presents now” and said: “I’m very pleased because since our first meeting we had this click. Next day he called me and wanted to appoint me immediately and I had three more games in Turkey to finish the championship!

“I have 100 per cent support and they believe in us [me and my staff]. Without this trust, you cannot do anything. This is crucial. It’s amazing. Now we have six weeks or seven weeks of rest and then we go there. I think the club already have a list of players [to sign] for the Premier League.”

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Goalscorer McBurnie, who ends the season with 19 goals, reflected: “For the first time ever, I think I’m speechless! It’s been a long, hard season and that game today summed us up. We knew we weren’t going to come in and have all of the ball – I don’t think we’ve won a game this year when we’ve had more of the ball than the opposition!

“It was tough out there with the heat and Middlesbrough are a top, top team. We knew we were going to be right up against it, but we felt we’d have one chance and it was written for me to get it.

“I didn’t think it would be so late on, but what a feeling. When I first got my move to Sheffield United, it was what they expected of me and I probably wasn’t really ready to be that person.

“As I’ve grown and got older and more mature, I think I’ve grown into that role and I enjoy that. I was looking forward to this game so much I couldn’t sleep last night!”

Hull have now won all three of their second-tier play-off finals 1-0, having beaten Bristol City in 2008 and Sheffield Wednesday in 2016 by the same scoreline.

They become the first club to gain promotion to the Premier League after finishing sixth in the Championship table since Blackpool back in 2010.