Bristol City’s fierce rivals Cardiff City have sacked manager Erol Bulut ahead of their trip to Ashton Gate next week after a disastrous start to the campaign.
The 49-year-old was relieved of his duties at the Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday after the Bluebirds’ 2-0 defeat to Leeds United on Saturday afternoon.
The result left City’s bitter rivals rooted to the foot of the Championship table having picked up just one point and scoring one goal in their opening six league games to date. The defeat on home soil represented the Bluebirds’ worst start to a campaign in 94 years.
A short statement on Cardiff’s website read: “Cardiff City Football Club can confirm First Team Manager Erol Bulut has been relieved of his duties and will leave the Club with immediate effect. The Board of Directors wish to thank Erol for all of his hard work and wish him well for the future.
“First Team Coach Nikolaos Karydas will also depart and leaves with the Club’s best wishes. Further backroom staff confirmation will follow in due course. Omer Riza will take charge of the First Team on an interim basis, while the Club look to recruit a new permanent First Team Manager.”
News of Bulut’s departure comes as no shock after speculation over the former Fenerbahce boss’ future grew after their 1-0 defeat to Derby County last week.
The Turkish manager arrived in South Wales in the summer of 2023 on a one-year deal and guided Cardiff to a 12th-placed finish in his maiden Championship campaign. In fact, Bulut was the first manager since Neil Warnock in the 2018-19 campaign to survive a full season in the hot seat at the Cardiff City Stadium.
The ex-Turkey Under-21’s manager was rewarded with a new deal in June amid speculation of moves abroad to both Besiktas and Panathinaikos. But just three months into his new two-year contract, his time in Cardiff has come to an end.
The 49-year-old now becomes the sixth boss out of the 11 under owner Vincent Tan to depart the Welsh capital between September and November and was the fifth permanent figure to take charge in three years.
The Bluebirds are now in search of their 12th manager in 14 years under Tan and have been linked with names including Steven Schumacher, James Rowberry and Feyr Alexandersson in the early recruitment stages.
Cardiff revealed first-team coach Omer Riza will take charge on an interim basis and could be in charge for the Severnside Derby next week to face City at Ashton Gate.