Erol Bulut: Cardiff appoint former Fenerbahce manager as replacement for Sabri Lamouchi

Cardiff have appointed former Fenerbahce boss Erol Bulut as their new manager.

The Bluebirds, who finished 21st in the Sky Bet Championship – five points above the drop zone – let Sabri Lamouchi go as head coach at the end of the season.

His replacement, Bulut, took unknown Turkish outfit Yeni Malatyaspor to fifth place in the Turkish Super Lig and the Europa League qualifiers. The 48-year-old most recently had spells at Fenerbahce and Gaziantep in the Turkish top flight.

Cardiff owner Vincent Tan said in a statement: “Erol has vast experience both as a player and as 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.

“Erol’s enthusiasm and hunger for success impresses me greatly. When we spoke, it became clear that his intensity and hard work ethic matched the core cultural traits that I want our club to return to.

“His excellent record in European football represents a standard of managerial experience that we have not had at Cardiff City before. His experience in this field, I hope, will allow us to attract a higher profile and standard of player in the coming years.”

As a player, Bulut represented Olympiacos and Fenerbahce in the Champions League and won multiple domestic honours with both clubs.

Bulut will meet the Cardiff squad on Monday and is due to speak to the media later that afternoon.

All you need to know about the 2023/24 EFL season

Fixture release date – Thursday June 22 2023, 9am

Start date – Saturday August 5 2023

League One play-off final – Saturday May 18 2024

League Two play-off final – Sunday May 19 2024

Championship play-off final – Sunday May 26 2024