Acun Ilicali, a Turkish businessman and TV personality, sealed his ownership of Hull City and later watched his side beat high-flying Blackburn 2-0.
The 52-year-old, who walked onto the MKM Stadium pitch before the game, gained approval from the English Football League to become the new owner during a meeting on Wednesday.
Ilicali has been working on a plan to acquire the club for his Acun Medya company for the past six months, striking an agreement with the Allam family as early as October.
With the deal now complete, it brings to an end the Allam family’s 11-years as owners. “I am happy that I have fulfilled one of my biggest dreams today,” said Ilicali. “We are starting a beautiful journey with Hull City. We have many big dreams and goals to achieve together with our fans.
“I would like to thank Allam family for the friendship and sincerity they have shown during this process. I genuinely believe that we will achieve success with the amazing fans of this beautiful city.”
The outgoing vice-chairman Ehab Allam insisted Hull would be left in safe hands. “We are happy and proud to be leaving Hull City on a strong and stable financial footing,” said Allam. “During our tenure, we have worked hard to create a sustainable model and successful academy setup, giving the club the foundations it needs for the future.”
The new era began in style as Hull, who had lost their last three league games, were excellent from the outset against Blackburn, turning the formbook on its head against genuine promotion contenders.