Hull City

Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic told BBC Radio Humberside after his side's 3-1 defeat to QPR:

"Bad game for us, especially the last 10 minutes. We lost our balance and discipline on the pitch.

"We conceded a really cheap goal from the corner, from a throw-in - there is nobody on the midfielder and it is unacceptable.

"When we are in the attacking phase, we don't have too much space and we cannot turn with the ball.

"I think we entered very well the game, until the first goal which we conceded from the corner, which is for me unbelievable.

"We equalised and had some good decisions with the ball. After the substitutions, I think we can put them under more pressure, but the second goal is thoroughly unacceptable.

"I'm very angry because they didn't create these chances, QPR. We created those chances."

Image source, Opta

Hull City will hope to get their Championship promotion bid back on track when they welcome QPR on Saturday lunchtime (kick-off 12:30 GMT).

The Tigers are without a win in their past two games but are six points clear of seventh and seven points behind the automatic promotion places.

The Hoops have won just twice in their past 10 games (D4 L4) to slide from seventh in late December to 13th - though QPR are still only four points back from the top six.

• Hull City have lost their past two league meetings with QPR (1-2 in January and 2-3 in November 2025) – they have never lost three in a row against them in league competition.

• QPR have only won three of their previous 16 away league games against Hull (D7 L6), although all three of those victories have come within their most recent five trips (L2).

• Hull City have failed to win in their past two league games (D1 L1), despite both being home matches. Only once have they gone three without a win this season (D1 L2 in August/September).

• QPR are winless across their past seven away games in the Championship (D4 L3), with each of the past three ending 0-0 – only two sides have ever played four consecutive away goalless draws in the history of the second tier: Grimsby Town in 1963 and Crystal Palace in 1978-1979.

• Hull City rank 22nd for total shots in the Championship this season (345), but joint-6th for shots on target (135). The Tigers have fired the highest share of their attempts on target in the division this term (39%).

Image source, EFL

Puma's Rainbow ball will return to the English Football League as part of an on-going campaign against discrimination and homophobia.

The special edition rainbow ball was introduced in 2024 to mark LGBTQ+ History Month and will be used at every EFL game from 20 February until 1 March.

Manufacturers Puma will make a donation to Football v Homophobia for every goal scored with their rainbow ball across the Championship, League One and League Two.

The donations will help support education against homophobia and promote inclusion across the season.

The EFL have released a video, external to coincide with the campaign which features a Preston North End fan who was charged with a hate crime following homophobic chanting during an FA Cup fixture against Chelsea.

The rainbow ball will also feature in EFL partner EA Sports' FC 26 video game.

"The rainbow ball is a powerful symbol of the values we uphold across the EFL all season long," EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch said.

"It not only reflects our longstanding commitment to ensuring the League is representative of all its diverse communities, but also reminds us that we all have a role to play in creating an environment in which everyone feels they truly belong."

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Former Hull City vice-chairman Tan Kesler has spoken about his departure from the club as he enjoys a new challenge with Polish side Pogon Szczecin.

Kesler was one of the prominent figures of the Acun Ilicali ownership following the 2022 takeover but left by mutual consent in October 2024.

His exit came just a few months after Hull finished just outside the play-offs, ending the season in disappointing fashion under boss Liam Rosenior, who then departed the club.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Kesler said: "My departure was quite planned. After Liam left, it became extremely tiring. My son was born in Hull, and I was trying to be a father, a good husband, and we had to reshape everything after Liam.

"It became stressful and hard to manage, and I felt I needed a break."

Kesler said other Championship clubs approached him, and he hopes one day to return to what he calls his "second home" in English football.

However, he has since taken up a role in the Ekstraklasa – Poland's first division – at Pogon, working under owner and friend Alex Haditaghi.

"Pogon Szczecin were having financial trouble, literally days away from losing their licence and entering administration," he added. "I helped with due diligence without making the commitment. But then I saw the atmosphere, the stadium, the city, the fans — regular 22,000 sell-outs (and wanted to join).

"I enjoy developing players and football philosophies. Our philosophy is the same as at Hull, play the right football, develop one player per season and sell. We've just sold a talent to Lazio — Adrian Przyborek, who struggled for minutes before we arrived. With our philosophy, he developed. We sold him for €4.5m, with a total package of €7m and a big sell‑on.

"More players are in the pipeline, and we keep promoting them while trying to be in the top five."

Pundits Ellen White and Shay Given join host Alex Scott to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's FA Cup ties.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Hull City 0-4 Chelsea

• Wrexham 1-0 Ipswich

• Burton Albion 0-1 West Ham

• Manchester City 2-0 Salford City

• Aston Villa 1-3 Newcastle

• Liverpool 3-0 Brighton and Hove Albion

There are two ties on Friday as the FA Cup fourth round gets under way, and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Hull City v Chelsea - BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live & BBC Humberside

• Wrexham v Ipswich Town - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3, BBC Radio Wales & BBC Radio Suffolk

Kick-offs 19:45 GMT

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Hull v Chelsea" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Wrexham v Ipswich".

Find out more about how to listen to football on BBC Sounds

How to follow the FA Cup fourth round on the BBC

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior is really well thought of by Hull City fans from his time in charge there, and he is a former Tigers player as well.

So, he should get a great reception there on Friday night, but what he really needs is a win - especially after letting a two-goal lead slip against Leeds on Tuesday.

Rosenior has had some great results with Chelsea but it seems some fans aren't convinced by him. He will be desperate to prove them wrong by winning a trophy and the FA Cup is a great opportunity for him to do that this season.

Hull are going well in the Championship under Sergej Jakirovic but I just see Chelsea being too strong for them.

I scored for Chelsea against Hull in the FA Cup, many years ago. We won 6-1 that day and the Blues are going to win comfortably this time too.

Sutton's prediction: 1-4

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Image source, Opta

Hull City welcome former manager Liam Rosenior and Chelsea to the MKM Stadium in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday night (19:45 GMT).

The Tigers, finalists in 2014, lie fourth in the Championship, 19 places below the eight-time winners in the ladder, but they have won just one of their past four home games while the Blues have won four of their past five away from Stamford Bridge.

• Hull have won one of their past 35 games against Chelsea in all competitions (D8 L26), a 3-0 win in October 1988 under Eddie Gray. They have lost their past eight games against the Blues.

• Chelsea have progressed from all eight of their FA Cup ties against Hull City – it's the joint best 100% progress rate by a team against another in FA Cup history, along with Leicester City against Birmingham City.

• Hull are looking to reach the FA Cup fifth round for the first time since 2017/18. However, the Tigers have been eliminated in their last 16 ties against top-flight teams while playing outside the top-flight themselves, since a 1-0 win against West Ham in 1972/73.

• Chelsea have progressed from 62 of their past 64 FA Cup ties against sides from outside the Premier League, although both defeats in this run have been against Yorkshire teams: 1-0 vs Barnsley in 2007/08 and 4-2 vs Bradford City in 2014/15.

• Enzo Fernandez has been involved in five goals in seven FA Cup appearances for Chelsea (3 goals, 2 assists), while he has four goals and two assists in eight domestic cup appearances against sides from a lower division.

Image source, EFL

Championship leaders Middlesbrough are celebrating winning both the manager and player of the month awards for January.

Boss Kim Hellberg led Boro to five wins from their six league games last month, with them scoring 14 goals as they chased down the leaders Coventry City before overtaking them at the top of the table last weekend.

Midfielder Alan Browne won the player award, having also filled in at wing-back and scored three goals.

Philippe Clement of Norwich, Wrexham's Phil Parkinson and Derby head coach John Eustace were also nominated for the manager accolade.

Wrexham striker Sam Smith and defenders Charlie Hughes (Hull City) and Caleb Taylor (Millwall) missed out of the player award.

Middlesbrough visit second-placed Coventry in the Championship on Monday night (20:00 GMT).

Image source, Getty Images

Alan Browne, Charlie Hughes, Sam Smith and Caleb Taylor are the nominees for January's Championship player of the month award.

Browne has come back into favour under Kim Hellberg at Middlesbrough and has been deployed at right wing-back as well as in central midfield.

The 30-year-old Republic of Ireland international helped Boro to five wins in January, scoring in the 4-0 home wins over Southampton and Preston and scoring one and assisting the other in a 2-1 win at Stoke.

Hughes was part of a Hull City side that enjoyed a fine month, with four wins in five matches and just three goals conceded.

The 22-year-old centre-back also headed what turned out to be the winner in a 2-1 victory at Southampton, his first goal of the campaign.

Smith took his chance at Wrexham, replacing the injured Kieffer Moore, with the 27-year-old forward scoring in all four of his starts in January to help the Red Dragons to 13 points from six games to move into the play-off places.

Taylor impressed at the back for Millwall, who claimed 11 points from their six games with Taylor helping ensure three clean sheets and also weighing-in with goals in wins against Swansea and Charlton and two assists too.

The winner will be announced on Friday, 13 February.

Image source, Getty Images

Returning to the club where his grandmother was a season holder will be an "amazing thing for me and my family", says Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior.

The Blues visit Championship Hull City in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday evening, providing Rosenior an emotional opportunity to return to the club he watched as a child, played for, and later managed.

"Incredible," he told BBC Sport.

"I've got an emotional family connection with the club through my grandma. I used to go up there when I was a little boy. I'm talking four or five years old on summer holidays all the way through. Without that football club, I wouldn't be here now.

"She was a season ticket holder. She got to see me play there. Sadly she passed away pretty much a year to the day before I joined Hull as manager."

"I think she did the draw," Rosenior added with a smile.

"She must have messed around with the balls in the hat. Amazing for my family to get together. I think I need about 20 tickets so we'll see how it goes.

"Without that club and without being there, I wouldn't be in this situation now. I'm so thankful. It's a club that I will always love, and have a special place in in my heart for.

"And it's an amazing thing for me and my family that we go back there."

Image source, Getty Images

Rosenior has started well as Blues manager, winning seven out of his first 10 matches in charge and remaining unbeaten in the Premier League. He believes supporters are beginning to see how his approach differs from previous boss Enzo Maresca.

"What I'm conscious of as well is that they're already part of a very good team," he added.

"My ideas are similar with tweaks and different things, but what you don't want to do is change too much too soon because the players lose their rhythm.

"I think people are starting to see a few things that are different. It's not about being different. It's about winning games of football. And that's the balance that I have to find."

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Former Hull City vice-chairman Tan Kesler has revealed how "really ambitious" Liam Rosenior became a success in management.

The 41-year-old is now in charge of Chelsea and will lead his side into an FA Cup fourth‑round tie at his former club, where he made 161 appearances as a player between 2010 and 2015.

Having previously served only as caretaker manager at Derby County in League One, Rosenior was appointed by Hull as a relatively inexperienced head coach in 2022.

Kesler told BBC Sport what he said to owner Acun Ilicali during the hiring process:

"I remember telling Acun: we're speaking to top international coaches, but this young coach has something special," he said.

"Acun comes from the entertainment world - he owns rights to reality shows like The Voice and Survivor. I told him Liam could be someone we bring into the limelight by giving him an opportunity.

"Liam spoke very well and we hoped he could apply his ideas.

"Finally, I asked him in our first meeting over coffee where he saw himself in five years.

"Knowing Championship coaches have short lifespans, I wanted to see if he was pragmatic or really ambitious. He said: 'I see myself coaching in the Champions League'."

"We took a risk - a calculated risk, not a crazy one."

Now working in the same role at Polish top‑flight side Pogon Szczecin, Kesler explained that Rosenior went to extra lengths to persuade players to join Hull.

He recalled driving with club recruiters from Yorkshire to London to convince Fabio Carvalho to sign on loan, and said not every attempt was successful, pointing to a similar trip to Burnley which ended without a deal.

"Liam focuses on communication and delivers what he needs to say in a very short period," Kesler added. "That's key for young players with short attention spans."

Rosenior was ultimately sacked after 18 months and 78 matches in charge, having missed out on the 2023-24 Championship play-offs by three points, because of what Ilicali said was a "difference of opinions".

Kesler "believes everything happens for a reason", with his own exit following six months later because he felt he needed a break after the birth of his son.