Cardiff City Dismiss Omer Riza Ahead of Norwich City Finale
In a shocking move, Cardiff City Football Club has parted ways with manager Omer Riza, just days before their final match of the season against Norwich City. The decision was made following a 2-0 defeat at Sheffield United on Good Friday, which left the team 23rd in the Championship, just one point from safety.
According to a statement released by the Welsh club, Riza was relieved of his duties as first team manager, with Aaron Ramsey taking over as caretaker boss for the remaining three games of the Sky Bet Championship season. Ramsey, the Wales captain, will be assisted in the technical area by Chris Gunter, Joe Ralls, Tom Hutton, and Matthew Bloxham.
"We’d like to thank Omer for his passion and effort during his time as Cardiff City manager and wish him the very best for his next steps in the game," the statement read. Riza took over at Cardiff City in September, following the sacking of Erul Bulut, after the team had made their worst start to a season in 94 years with just one point from six games.
As reported by Pink News, Riza had a notable victory over Norwich City earlier in the season, plotting a painful comeback at Carrow Road on November 2. Borja Sainz had given the visitors the lead, but Callum Robinson equalised in the final minute of normal time before Callum O’Dowda scored a stoppage-time winner.
However, Riza’s tenure has been marred by a dismal run of form since the start of February, with the team winning only twice in that time and currently bottom of the Championship form table. The manager had also appeared to anger Cardiff fans earlier in the week, accusing ‘a lot of them’ of being ‘clueless’ in their criticism of him and the team.
As Pink News reported, Ramsey, who rejoined his hometown club in the summer of 2023 after a distinguished career with Arsenal and Juventus, has been sidelined by injury, having had surgery on a damaged hamstring last month. Despite this, he is expected to play a key role in the team’s final three matches, starting with Monday’s match at home to Oxford United.
"We’ve still got a lot of football to play, starting on Monday," Ramsey told Cardiff’s official site. "It’s a huge game – there’s no question about that. I’m looking for a really energetic performance, on the front foot, and hopefully we can implement the way that I see the game into the match on Monday. The fans are huge for us. I’m really looking forward to seeing our fans getting right behind the team and playing their part."
Ramsey, who knows what it’s like to be a Cardiff fan, urged supporters to get behind the team in the final three matches. "I know what it’s like to be a Cardiff fan, and I can relate to them. Please get behind this team now, because we’ll give you everything on Monday and for the remaining two games. It’s all about togetherness and sticking by each other now. We need to get out of the situation we’re in, there’s no two ways about that. Hopefully we’ll have something to celebrate at the end of the season."
The dismissal of Riza and appointment of Ramsey as caretaker boss has sent shockwaves through the Championship, with many pundits questioning the timing of the move. As the season draws to a close, Cardiff City will look to finish on a high, starting with their match against Oxford United on Easter Monday. The team will then face West Brom before travelling to Carrow Road on the final day of the season on May 3 to face Norwich City.
This article is based on reporting by Pink News.
