Cardiff City has announced the appointment of Erol Bulut, former Fenerbahce manager, as their new head coach. The 48-year-old Turkish manager replaces Sabri Lamouchi, whose short-term contract was not extended despite guiding the club to Championship safety last season.
Bulut’s hiring marks the culmination of an extensive global search for Lamouchi’s successor. Cardiff owner Vincent Tan expressed his admiration for Bulut’s enthusiasm and hunger for success. Tan highlighted the manager’s intensity and strong work ethic, which align with the cultural traits he seeks to instill in the club. Bulut’s impressive track record in European football brings a level of managerial experience previously unseen at Cardiff City, which Tan believes will attract higher-profile players in the future.
The length of Bulut’s contract with Cardiff has not been disclosed. The club considered other candidates such as former Watford manager Oscar Garcia and Portuguese club Chaves’ Vitor Campelos during the selection process.
Bulut, who managed in the Turkish Super Lig, is set to work outside of Turkey for the first time in his coaching career. He began his managerial journey at Yeni Malatyaspor in 2017 before moving to Alanyaspor in 2019. During his tenure at Alanyaspor, the team reached the Turkish Cup final. Bulut returned to Fenerbahce, where he had previously played for four years, in the summer of 2020 but departed in March 2021 with the team positioned third in the Turkish top flight. He then joined Gaziantep but left in January 2023 following a disappointing series of results.
Born in Germany, Bulut started his playing career at Eintracht Frankfurt before joining Fenerbahce, where he won a league title in 1995-96. He later played for various clubs including Olympiakos, 1860 Munich, and Veria before retiring in 2012.
Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan expressed confidence in the selection process and believes that Bulut’s extensive experience as both a player and a manager, including Champions League participation and over 200 league games managed, will be invaluable to the squad.
Lamouchi’s departure from Cardiff was announced on May 17, following discussions with Tan regarding future plans. Lamouchi was one of three managers to lead the Bluebirds last season, following Steve Morison and Mark Hudson.