Rosenior returns to Hull this weekend as Chelsea manager for their FA Cup fourth round tie.
Ilicali told The Sun</i>: “Liam is a fantastic guy and good coach — but his philosophy of how to play was not mine.
“So rather than get him to change, it was better for me to change the coach.
“Liam has a style that is taking him in his direction and I didn’t want to push him in mine.
“His way of football is suitable for Chelsea and big clubs because it needs high-quality players superior to others in the league.
“But here at Hull I wanted a different kind of attacking style which is entertaining as well as getting results.
“We weren’t on the same page and I talked to him often about this. And in the end I decided to part ways.”
While they parted ways, Ilicali admits he was bowled over by Rosenior's dedication to his profession.
“I first met him while I was in Los Angeles. We had a Zoom call that lasted 90 minutes," he recalled. “Liam came across as a nice and clever guy who dedicated his life to football.
“He knows so much detail inside the game and I was instantly impressed. I told my sporting director, ‘Please, get this guy… immediately!’
“This man was full of passion and that’s what I wanted. He knew everything to the deepest detail.”