Following a 2-0 home loss to Leeds United, Cardiff City sacked then-manager, Erol Bulut, the following day, September 22nd. Bulut had only been at Cardiff City for over a year, as he was appointed manager in June of 2023.
At the beginning of the season, Bulut approached Omer Riza, who was then a part of the Watford coaching staff about becoming the assistant coach at Cardiff City. Riza accepted. When Bulut was sacked, Riza was appointed as the interim coach, and now, Cardiff City has found their new manager.
Who is Omer Riza?
Following a report by the BBC, Cardiff City officially announced that Omer Riza has been appointed the senior team manager for the rest of the 2024/2025 season. Who is Omer Riza? Omer Riza was a forward who played for Arsenal and West Ham before heading down to the lower tiers of the English pyramid. He played for the likes of Cambridge United, Shrewsbury Town, Boreham Wood, and Aldershot Town to name a few. He even went to Turkey for a spell and played for Trabzonspor and Denizlispor.
Riza’s managerial career is fascinating. After signing for the club as a player, Riza was appointed caretaker manager of Chesnut in 2013. He held a UEFA A license at the time and after a successful stint as the player-manager, he was officially made the full-time manager. However, his days as player-manager were short-lived as he injured his cruciate ligament in an Arsenal charity match and was promptly sacked by Chesnut.
Following that stint, Riza had stints as an assistant manager at Heybridge Swifts and then Leyton Orient. It was at Leyton Orient that Riza got his next chance at being a full-time manager, as he was appointed manager for the rest of the 2016/2017 season. During this time, Riza was sent to the stands for disputing with a referee. Once the season was over, Riza’s contract was not extended as Leyton Orient suffered some awful losses undue his leadership.
In 2018, Omer Riza joined the Watford coaching staff as an academy coach. He was recognized for his efforts as he was appointed the England U16s coach as part of the Elite Coach Placement Program. Riza was then put in charge of the Watford U23s in October 2020. He even became an official assistant coach for the England U17s in 2021. Valerian Ishmael, the then Watford manager, appointed Riza to the senior team staff, and Riza stayed there until Ishmael was sacked.
What Happens Now?
Under the coaching of Omer Riza, Cardiff City has been a much more free-flowing and attacking team. Cardiff City won five out of seven to start the Omer Riza interim era, but despite fan and former player criticism, Cardiff City still did nothing to appoint a full-time manager. Now, after losing two of their last three, Cardiff City has officially made Omer Riza the manager for the rest of the season. This very much feels like a band-aid move by the Cardiff City board. While Riza has made Cardiff City slightly more competitive, they are still only barely above the relegation zone. Unless Riza pulls a miracle the rest of the season, it does not seem likely that Riza will stay permanently.
Cardiff City fans certainly deserve more than all the uncertainty this season has brought. Despite the owner’s reassurances, there has been much criticism over the handling of this situation, and it is doubtful that will stop unless Cardiff City makes drastic improvements on the pitch.