Hull City owner Acun Ilicali has expressed his frustration towards pundits Joe Cole and Carlton Cole after they ridiculed his team’s prospects for remaining in the Premier League during a recent podcast.

On The Dressing Room podcast, former England and Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole admitted he had declined an offer to be a pundit for Hull’s opening match, stating he would be “stunned if they stayed up.” He humorously remarked, “They’ve come here through the back door. They’ve slipped in.”

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Hull secured their promotion to the Premier League with a thrilling last-minute victory over Middlesbrough in the play-off final at Wembley in May. This season marks Hull’s return to the Premier League after a six-year absence, having narrowly avoided relegation from the Championship to League One on goal difference in 2025.

In a social media post, Ilicali stated, “It is disappointing to see my beautiful city criticised by people who should know better. As a club we are used to being underestimated and we enjoy it, and we enjoyed it more when we were promoted last season.”

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“For me, seeing two ex-players making fun of a deservedly promoted club, is more laughable than the things they were laughing at,” he added.

On Thursday, Hull’s head coach Sergej Jakirovic also commented on the situation. “It is a great motivation to prove them wrong, if it’s possible,” he said, acknowledging the challenges ahead. “It will not be easy but at least we can fight there. We don’t have anything to lose. You play for yourself, and you show your potential on the pitch.”

Later, Carlton Cole, who made seven appearances for England after playing for Chelsea and West Ham, defended the podcast remarks by sharing a video. He referred to the comments as “banter” and expressed his affection for Hull City.

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This summer, Hull has invested £70 million on new signings and is set to face Manchester United in their opening Premier League match on Saturday.

Hull City owner Acun Ilicali has criticised pundits Joe Cole and Carlton Cole after they mocked his side’s chances of Premier League survival on a podcast.

Speaking on The Dressing Room podcast, former England and Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole said he had turned down the chance to be a pundit for their opening match – adding he would be “stunned if they stayed up”.

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He joked: “They’ve come here through the back door. They’ve slipped in.”

Hull achieved promotion to the Premier League with a last-minute win over Middlesbrough in the play-off final at Wembley in May.

This season will be Hull’s first in the Premier League since 2017. They only survived relegation from the Championship to League One on goal difference in 2025.

Writing on social media, Ilicali said: “It is disappointing to see my beautiful city criticised by people who should know better.

“As a club we are used to being underestimated and we enjoy it, and we enjoyed it more when were promoted last season.

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“For me, seeing two ex-players making fun of a deservedly promoted club, is more laughable than the things they were laughing at.”

On Thursday, Hull boss Sergej Jakirovic also addressed the issue.

“It is a great motivation to prove them wrong, if it’s possible,” he said.

“It will not be easy but at least we can fight there. We don’t have anything to lose. You play for yourself, and you show your potential on the pitch.”

Later Carlton Cole, who played for Chelsea and West Ham and made seven England appearances, posted a video defending the comments on the podcast, calling it “banter” saying he “loved Hull City”.

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Hull, who have spent £70m on new signings this summer, play Manchester United on Saturday in their opening Premier League fixture.