Credit: Cardiff City FC
Yesterday afternoon, Cardiff City announced the appointment of German-born Erol Bulut as first team manager, replacing Frenchman Sabri Lamouchi who left the club last month.
Lamouchi's departure came after the conclusion of his short-term deal, with owner Vincent Tan deciding not to offer the 51-year-old a new contract.
Erol has over 25 years of experience at the top levels of European football as both a player and a manager, which Tan says "represents a standard of managerial experience that we have not had at Cardiff City before".
The 48-year-old began his playing career at Eintracht Frankfurt having made his way through the Bundesliga club's academy, before later going on to play for the likes of Olympiacos.
Mr Bulut is however best-known for his time as boss of Turkish side Fenerbahce during most of the 2020/21 season, where he won 21 games out of a possible 34, before moving on to Gazientep FK for almost two years, who were then forced to withdraw from the league.
The length of Erol's contract has not yet been revealed by the club, a man who has become the Bluebirds' third manager in the space of just six months.
Upon his appointment, Vincent Tan, owner of Cardiff City, said:
"This summer allowed us to consider applicants for the manager's position from across Europe and, having taken our time with the process, I'm extremely confident that we have chosen the best candidate to take us forward.
"Erol has vast experience both as a player and a manager, having played Champions League football and managed European sides across 200 league games to date. This level of experience is needed at this time and I think will prove invaluable to the squad."
Reacting to the new appointment, one fan on Twitter wrote:
"No pressure, but the City have been poor for several years now and the in-stability has been staggering. The guy needs time, are you prepared to give him it Tan? Any more changes and the club is down the tube."
Another said:
"Never heard of him to be honest but he 100% has my full backing. We all need to get behind him as next season is going to be very difficult. He needs to be backed by his superiors. Interesting to see what type of player we sign this summer."
Last season, the Bluebirds finished just one place above the relegation zone, five-points above Reading, who were deducted six points for breaching the terms of an agreed business plan by the EFL.
Erol's first interview as Cardiff City manager will take place on Monday afternoon (5th June).
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