Sergej Jakirović takes Hull to the Premier League — big 1:0 win in the play-off final at Wembley

Photo: Hull City

Hull City, coached by our own Sergej Jakirović, achieved a major success and were promoted to the Premier League with a 1:0 win over Middlesbrough in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Saturday 23 May 2026. The only goal came from Oli McBurnie in the 95th minute right at the end of the match.

For Jakirović this is the best achievement of his career in a season in which he took a club that only just survived in the league last year under a transfer ban into the world’s strongest league. Hull finished last season 21st, escaping relegation on goal difference on the final day. This season they looked excellent and for a time seemed set to fight for the top two places that lead straight up. In the end they hit a run of poor results and only just made the play-offs from sixth place. In the semi-final they drew 0:0 at home against Millwall, then won 0:2 away; in the final they awaited the winner from the other semi-final tie. Southampton had initially reached the final but were expelled from the play-offs over a spying scandal involving Middlesbrough’s training ground, so Boro were given a second chance. Hull played another solid match, kept a clean sheet and eventually scored the big goal for the win.

As in the previous few matches, our midfielder Amir Hadžiahmetović did not play this game because of a knee injury. Amir is on loan from Turkish side Beşiktaş, where he will return. It remains to be seen what the club’s plans are for next season; Premier League football would certainly be a big step forward in his career.