Hull City have ended up with Rizespor as Tuesday night’s pre-season opponent after a planned game against Galatasaray did not work out, according to head coach Sergej Jakirovic.
That switch matters because this stage of pre-season is often difficult to manage. Clubs are trying to get minutes into their squads, but the calendar is already crowded in other countries, which makes arranging a suitable fixture more complicated than it sounds.
Jakirovic said Hull had initially tried to line up Galatasaray, but once that option fell through, Rizespor became the next choice. He pointed to the wider schedule across Europe as part of the reason. Some leagues have already started, while the Conference League, Europa League and Champions League qualifiers are also taking place, leaving fewer available opponents.
“We tried to play the second game against Galatasaray, but something went wrong, and then we chose Rizespor,” Jakirovic said. He added that it is not easy to find an opponent at this point in pre-season because the season has already started in some other countries. “In Turkey, their season starts like ours in the Premier League,” he said.
For Hull, the focus remains on the work being done rather than the profile of the opposition. Jakirovic said he is “always looking just at us,” stressing that the tactical plan and the team’s own demands matter most. In other words, the game is as much about Hull’s standards as it is about the opponent across the pitch.
That approach was visible in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Konyaspor. Jakirovic said he was happy with what he saw, even if the group was carrying tired legs after a hard training load. “The plan was to give minutes to everyone,” he said, noting that the team trained hard regardless of the match. He added that the squad has kept its principles, even while adjusting slightly because of the minutes each player needs at this stage.
The workload will be split again against Rizespor. Jakirovic said the players who featured for 30 minutes against Konyaspor will start on Tuesday night, while others are building toward longer outings. He said those players have already had a good workout and have 60 minutes into them, which is important as Hull prepare for the season ahead.
The timing also matters. Hull City are using pre-season to get ready for their Premier League opener against Manchester United on August 22, so every friendly is part of a bigger fitness and tactical plan. Against Rizespor at Maribor’s Ljudski vrt, the result will matter less than the minutes, rhythm and structure Hull can take from it.
For Jakirovic, that is the point. The opponent may have changed, but the process has not.
