Two of Birmingham City’s Championship opponents put themselves in deep water with the EFL this summer.
Hull City chairman Acun Ilicali is sure their appeal against a three-window transfer block will be successful.
Birmingham City’s Championship rivals have been sanctioned by the EFL for making a late transfer payment to Aston Villa for Louie Barry’s loan last season. As a result, the Tigers’ hopes of permanently re-signing Barry have all but vanished.
The EFL has prohibited Hull from recruiting players for money in the next three transfer windows, which means they may only sign players on free transfers or loans that do not incur fees.
Sheffield Wednesday is under a similar restriction after the EFL sanctioned them for failing to pay their employees.
However, Turkish businessman Ilicali has now urged the EFL to reverse Hull’s prohibition.
In an open letter to Hull fans, Ilicali wrote: “It is evident that a lot of misinformation has been circulating in the previous few days, therefore I wanted to clarify a few points.
“There are no concerns between us and Aston Villa regarding the Louie Barry and Jaden Philogene arrangements, and we are really confident in our appeal case.
“The Fin Burns scenario is actually very straightforward. We intended to clear this fee with the proceeds of a player sale, but when the EFL informed us that this was not possible for reasons unrelated to us, we made a direct payment immediately to terminate the problem.
“In terms of supplier payments, the club suffered a cash flow issue when it did not receive a £1.5 million payment for a player, which was expected to clear supplier obligations. I will cover the difference until we collect the monies owing, and our team is in contact with all suppliers to resolve any lingering concerns as quickly as feasible.
“When I spoke with our fans last week, I informed them that the club is losing money and that I will help when needed. The club will always have my complete support when it needs it.
“I’d like to reassure our fans that we have no problem with any other clubs. Perhaps there were some financial administrative problems, but I am optimistic that the EFL will comprehend our appeal, and we are confident in our position.
“People are allowed to have thoughts and to write a different story; that is life, but I will always support our club. Our squad has £100 million in potential, we have a great coach and the best fans, and if we work together, we can achieve our goals.”
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