Aaron Ramsey: Ex-Arsenal star to lead late Cardiff survival bid in shock manager twist | OneFootball

Wales captain handed coaching reins with Championship strugglers for final three matches in surprise move after Omer Riza sacked

Former Arsenal stalwart Aaron Ramsey has been appointed as the new caretaker manager of Cardiff.

The Bluebirds confirmed on Saturday that they had sacked Omer Riza following a 2-0 defeat by promotion-chasing Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Good Friday.

That result coupled with Luton’s victory away at fellow strugglers Derby saw Cardiff drop to 23rd in the Championship table, only two points above bottom club Plymouth and one adrift of safety with just three matches remaining this season.

The club have decided to make a late change in the dugout to try and spark a survival bid and avoid a first return to the third tier since 2003, handing the coaching reins to Ramsey.

The 34-year-old midfielder is still on Cardiff’s books as a player after returning to his first club in the summer of 2023 for the second time after leaving French side Nice, though has only made 10 appearances so far this term after missing much of the season with a hamstring injury suffered playing for Wales in the Nations League in September.

Ramsey has not featured since the 2-1 home defeat by Luton on March 11, having also made only seven league starts last season as the result of a knee injury.

Now the Wales captain will be tasked with keeping Cardiff in the Championship, supported by a coaching team of Chris Gunter, Joe Ralls, Tom Hutton, Matthew Bloxham and Gavin Ward.

19th-place Oxford are the visitors to the Cardiff City Stadium on Easter Monday, with play-off chasing West Brom also heading to the Welsh capital on April 26 before they end the season at home to mid-table Norwich on May 3.

“Cardiff City FC can confirm that a decision has been taken to relieve Omer Riza of his duties as First Team Manager,” Cardiff said in a statement.

“Aaron Ramsey will lead the Club for the remaining three games of the Sky Bet Championship season, beginning with Monday’s match at home to Oxford United.

“Chris Gunter, Joe Ralls, Tom Hutton, Matthew Bloxham and Gavin Ward will join Aaron in the technical area.

Former Leyton Orient boss Riza previously served as a first-team coach under ex-Cardiff manager Erol Bulut before taking the temporary reins after the latter’s dismissal last September, later handed the permanent job in December.

Ramsey, who has 86 senior caps for Wales, has only made 52 appearances across three separate stints with Cardiff, beginning his career at the club before moving to Arsenal aged 17 and spending 11 years in north London, playing more than 350 times and winning three FA Cups.

He also spent time on loan back at Cardiff as well as with Nottingham Forest and Rangers and was at Juventus for three years after leaving Arsenal on a free transfer in the summer of 2019, ahead of a short-lived spell in France.