Championship club put ex-Newcastle midfielder on four-man shortlist to become next manager
Mary Neale-Smith
3 – 4 minutes
Ex-Newcastle midfield Emre Belozoglu is on a four-man shortlist to become the next Hull City manager, talkSPORT understands.
The Championship club are on the hunt for a new manager after Ruben Selles was sacked after just five months.
Belozoglu is currently head coach at Antalyaspor
2
Belozoglu is currently head coach at Antalyaspor
Selles became the third manager to be dismissed by Hull City owner Acun Ilicali in the last year, following Liam Rosenior and Tim Walter.
The Spaniards removal came as he guided Hull to safety on the final day of the Championship season.
The Tigers narrowly avoided relegation and survived on goal difference following a 1-1 draw away at Portsmouth.
In a statement confirming the decision, Hull said: “Following a thorough review of football operations after a challenging campaign, the club feels a change in leadership is necessary to move the team forward in line with our ambitions.”
Read more in Football
Former Inter Milan and Newcastle midfielder Belozoglu has emerged as one of the candidates to take the job.
Belozoglu is currently head coach of Turkish Super Lig side Antalyaspor, after stints managing Istanbul Basakeshir and Ankaragucu.
The 44 year-old made his professional debut at 16 for Galatasary, where he went on to win four Super Lig titles and a UEFA Cup alongside.
The former-midfielder moved to Inter Milan in 2001 and would go on to play Premier League football at Newcastle United for three seasons, before spells at Fenerbahce and Atletico Madrid.
Belozoglu played for the Turkish national team until 2019, gaining over 100 caps and was named in FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers.
News of Belozoglu potential appointment has drawn some criticism on social media.
Antalyaspor are currently 12th in the Turkish Super Lig
2
Antalyaspor are currently 12th in the Turkish Super Lig
In 2014, Belozoglu became the first Turkish football player to be sentenced for racism.
He was handed a two-and-a-half-month suspended prison sentence for using a racist slur against Ivory Coast midfielder Didier Zokora.
The court found Belozoglu act constituted an insult crime of “religious, racist, ethnic, sexist or sectarian discrimination”.
The incident took place in April 2012 at a playoff match between Fenerbahce and Trabzonspor.
During his three-year career at Newcastle United, Belozoglu was accused of racism three times but the English FA’s investigations failed to prove the accusations.
However, Belozoglu is not the only name in the running for the Hull position.
Hull City legend Dean Windass opens up about his dementia diagnosis
The Tigers have previously shown interest in Alex Neil, head coach at Millwall, who came 8th place in the Championship.
Plymouth Argyle boss Miron Muslic’s stock remains high with championship clubs despite the Pilgrims recent relegation to third tier football.
Former Tigers midfielder and Tottenham coach Ryan Mason is also on the hunt for his first manager’s job, after two stints at interim boss at Spurs.
‘Newcastle to sack Eddie Howe unless Premier League rules change’
Toby Wilding
4 – 5 minutes
Newcastle
Toby Wilding
Tue 8 April 2025 17:59, UK
Eddie Howe has been issued with a worrying verdict over his long-term future at Newcastle United in the wake of the Carabao Cup victory.
Howe has worked wonders since he took charge at St James’ Park back in November 2021, when they were fighting to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
The Magpies are now regular contenders for European qualification, and also ended their long wait for a major trophy with victory over Liverpool in the League Cup final last month.
As a result, Howe’s position at Newcastle is likely to be among the most secure in the Premier League at this moment in time.
In the long-term though, former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan isn’t confident the 47-year-old will be able to keep his job with the club if things remain the way they are with regards to regulations in the Premier League.
Newcastle United
Eddie Howe has worked wonders at Newcastle
‘Newcastle United to have managerial patience tested’ – Simon Jordan
Jordan has recently suggested that Howe would replace Thomas Tuchel as England manager after being sacked by Newcastle in the not too distant future.
MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES
The Magpies have been forced to tread carefully with their finances in recent years, due to the league’s PSR regulations.
Indeed, Newcastle were forced to sell Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh late last summer to avoid punishment for breaching PSR regulations.
While the current rules remain in place, Jordan believes it would take Howe several years to put together a side capable of winning the biggest trophies such as the Premier League or Champions League.
Eddie Howe record as Newcastle manager Total (as per Transfermarkt)
Played 165
Won 87
Drawn 32
Lost 46
All competitions
Given he feels those are ultimately the trophies that owners PIF will have their eyes on, Jordan does not believe the 47-year-old’s bosses will give him the time he needs to achieve them without major regulatory changes going through.
Speaking about Howe’s work with Newcastle on talkSPORT, the former Palace chief said: “I still maintain the view that Eddie Howe won’t carry them to the Premier League.
“I hope he does, because I’m not suggesting this as a diminishing aspect. I don’t think that the Saudi investment fund which owns it… bought Newcastle to win the League Cup.
“They bought it and you saw the biggest reveal in the emotional from Amanda Stavely [after they lost the League Cup final to Man United in 2023] which was, ‘we’ve lost this League Cup final but we will be back, we’ll win this cup, we’ll win the FA Cup, win the Premier League win the Champions League’.
“So to do that they’re going to have to have either a significant change in the rules or allow Eddie to develop this football club over a five six seven year period, and I’m not sure anybody gets that time in football anymore.”
Eddie Howe could be given time at St James’ Park
Football Insider Verdict
Despite what Jordan says, the current Magpies boss may still feel confident about his long-term future with the club.
Recent reports suggested that Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan wants Howe to be the manager that turns this team into serial trophy winners.
That may ensure that he is given the support and time he needs to put together a squad capable of winning the very biggest trophies.
There have also been suggestions that Newcastle can be active in the transfer window this summer to strengthen their side while keeping hold of key players such as Alexander Isak.
Because of that, Howe may indeed be able to deliver more silverware for the club in the short term, which will relieve any potential pressure on him from above.
It is also worth noting that any manager brought in to replace him could still need just a long to put Newcastle in a position where they can win the Premier League or Champions League.
In that respect it would surely make sense to stick with a manager in Howe, who already knows the club and therefore ought to already have a plan in place for how he takes them to the next level.
Related Posts
