Cardiff sack Riza as Wales’ Ramsey takes charge

Picture agency for Huw Evans
  • 153 Comments

After the Bluebirds parted ways with Omer Riza, Wales captain Aaron Ramsey will remain in charge of Cardiff City for the rest of the championship season.

After falling to Sheffield United, the Bluebirds were just one point off safety in the Championship relegation spots, Riza was informed of the decision on Saturday.

For the first time on Monday, Ramsey, 34, will take the place of the team’s opener against Oxford United at Cardiff City Stadium (15:00 BST).

Former Wales team-mate Chris Gunter, current Wales Under-19s manager, and Bluebirds midfielder Joe Ralls will assist him.

Ramsey has no prior managerial experience, but he has had coaching ambitions for some time and is being considered by Wales boss Craig Bellamy as a high-level player at the end of his professional career.

The 86-cap international will be the third player in the Cardiff dugout this season, which started with Erol Bulut as the club’s manager before being fired after only collecting one point from their first six games as the club endured its worst ever season.

Riza, a former Watford coach, was initially hired as a caretaker before being signed until the end of the season in December after returning from a successful summer.

However, Cardiff has become more and more under pressure as a result of his inability to get out of trouble. According to some in the club’s hierarchy, some members suggested a change last month, with former manager Neil Warnock being chosen as a replacement only for Riza to win the support of owner Vincent Tan.

The club have started playing in a late bid to avoid falling into the third tier for the first time since 2002 as a result of fans’ calls for Riza to be axed after Friday’s 2-0 defeat at Bramall Lane.

Cardiff will hope that supporters will be swayed by Ramsey’s appointment ahead of the final games against Oxford, West Bromwich Albion, and Norwich City. Ramsey is one of the club’s most decorated youth players.

After joining the club’s first team at the age of 16 in 2007, the midfielder moved to Premier League Arsenal, where he twice won the FA Cup, to become the club’s youngest ever player.

Following stints at Juventus and Nice, he made his return to his youth club in 2023, though his impact on the field was limited due to injury.

After having surgery on a hamstring injury suffered in the Championship match defeat against Luton Town last month, Ramsey was ruled out of all play.

related subjects

  • Cardiff City
  • Men’s football teams from Wales
  • Championship
  • Football

Cardiff sack Riza as Wales’ Ramsey takes charge

Picture agency for Huw Evans
  • 153 Comments

After the Bluebirds parted ways with Omer Riza, Wales captain Aaron Ramsey will remain in charge of Cardiff City for the rest of the championship season.

After falling to Sheffield United, the Bluebirds were just one point off safety in the Championship relegation spots, Riza was informed of the decision on Saturday.

For the first time on Monday, Ramsey, 34, will take the place of the team’s opener against Oxford United at Cardiff City Stadium (15:00 BST).

Former Wales team-mate Chris Gunter, current Wales Under-19s manager, and Bluebirds midfielder Joe Ralls will assist him.

Ramsey has no prior managerial experience, but he has had coaching ambitions for some time and is being considered by Wales boss Craig Bellamy as a high-level player at the end of his professional career.

The 86-cap international will be the third player in the Cardiff dugout this season, which started with Erol Bulut as the club’s manager before being fired after only collecting one point from their first six games as the club endured its worst ever season.

Riza, a former Watford coach, was initially hired as a caretaker before being signed until the end of the season in December after returning from a successful summer.

However, Cardiff has become more and more under pressure as a result of his inability to get out of trouble. According to some in the club’s hierarchy, some members suggested a change last month, with former manager Neil Warnock being chosen as a replacement only for Riza to win the support of owner Vincent Tan.

The club have started playing in a late bid to avoid falling into the third tier for the first time since 2002 as a result of fans’ calls for Riza to be axed after Friday’s 2-0 defeat at Bramall Lane.

Cardiff will hope that supporters will be swayed by Ramsey’s appointment ahead of the final games against Oxford, West Bromwich Albion, and Norwich City. Ramsey is one of the club’s most decorated youth players.

After joining the club’s first team at the age of 16 in 2007, the midfielder moved to Premier League Arsenal, where he twice won the FA Cup, to become the club’s youngest ever player.

Following stints at Juventus and Nice, he made his return to his youth club in 2023, though his impact on the field was limited due to injury.

After having surgery on a hamstring injury suffered in the Championship match defeat against Luton Town last month, Ramsey was ruled out of all play.

related subjects

  • Cardiff City
  • Men’s football teams from Wales
  • Championship
  • Football

Former Croatia player Pokrivac dies in car crash

Images courtesy of Getty

The Croatian Football Federation has confirmed that former Croatian international Nikola Pokrivac passed away in a car accident.

The 39-year-old midfielder won 15 international caps between 2008 and 2010 while playing for Dinamo Zagreb, AS Monaco, and RB Salzburg.

Pokrivac had to stop playing professional football after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2015.

But he switched to NK Vojnic last summer and began playing for amateur teams in 2021.

When three NK Vojnic team members collided in Karlovac, central Croatia, on Friday evening, he was reported to be driving a vehicle with three of his teammates.

Another person, 42 years old, was reported to have been killed in Pokrivac’s car, and two other people who were in the vehicle also suffered serious injuries.

Marijan Kustic, president of the Croatian Football Federation, described Nikola as a great football player who lived until his final moments in the world and showed great courage by overcoming a terrible disease.

“This is a terrible loss for our football community, and the family is especially affected.”

Pokrivac competed against England twice in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup at Euro 2008, where Croatia advanced to the quarter-finals.

When we lose a young life in such a shocking and unimaginably sad time, Kustic said, “It is impossible to find words of comfort in this.”

related subjects

  • Football