Cardiff City employ leading sports agency to draw up next manager shortlist

Yahoo

09-05-2025

Cardiff City have enlisted the help of leading global sports agency Wasserman to draw up a shortlist of candidates to become the next Bluebirds manager.
The club sacked manager Omer Riza last month and tasked Aaron Ramsey with trying to keep Cardiff in the Championship with three matches as interim boss. However, after two draws and a defeat, the Bluebirds' fate was sealed and they will play next season in League One.
Cardiff have reiterated the importance of getting back into the Championship at the earliest possible opportunity and that starts with making the right managerial appointment this summer. In an ideal world, it would also consist of bringing in more footballing knowledge at board level in order to help with decision-making.
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However, in lieu of a director of football appointment, WalesOnline understands that Wasserman have been asked to handle the search for Riza's permanent successor. Join the Cardiff City breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community.
The agency has been given a remit by Cardiff to draw up a list of potential candidates to fill the manager's position as the club embark on their first campaign in the third tier for more than two decades. Wasserman have asked to whittle down candidates into a shortlist, based on the club's criteria, with their expertise largely targeted in Europe and in North America.
The recruitment process is already well under way, we are told, and once the shortlist has been finalised and handed over to the club's decision-makers, the candidates will be subjected to a multi-stage interview process before the board decide on their preferred candidate.
While there are a number of managers who are currently on the books with Wasserman themselves — Gary O'Neil, Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane, Neil Harris, and others who have appeared on bookmakers' odds lists recently, among them — the search, of course, will not be limited to their clients.
There is, however, still a question mark around Ramsey himself following his interim spell in charge.
It is understood that Ramsey has impressed many people inside the club with how he has conducted himself behind the scenes. He has been strident in his views for what he believes the club needs to change within its structures to facilitate success and has the ear of influential people within the hierarchy.
Ramsey has his backers high up at the club and it is likely he will form part of the process moving forward, should he see that as an avenue for him. But the Wales captain's situation is perhaps complicated by his desire to continue playing.
Last month the midfielder insisted that the World Cup next year is a huge motivating factor for him and he has reiterated his desire to return to playing after two injury-raved campaigns in a row. Ramsey also said that he didn't believe you could "do both" when it came to a player-manager role, however sources have indicated that his stance on that might be softening, with his post-Norwich City press conference appearing to corroborate that.
'I am a Cardiff fan and know what they have been going through and the questions they have been asking,' he said.
'I am open to help realign things here. I have loved every minute of it, and in the three games I think we have given the supporters something to buy into. It's given me something to think about, that's for sure.
'There will be a few meetings going forward, and at some stage there obviously needs to be some clarity. We'll just have to see what happens.' Sign up to our daily Cardiff City newsletter here.
There might understandably be hesitation from some regarding Ramsey, given the recent history of how young, inexperienced managers have fared while in charge at Cardiff. Many would like an experienced hand at the tiller.
However, Ramsey has been vocal about, and would likely seek assurances around, changing structures or at least implementing more experienced people to drive forward a better, more progressive culture at the club. In the former Arsenal and Juventus star's own words: "I know what good looks like."
Sources have pointed towards another major advantage Ramsey has, which is the connection with supporters, his deep roots and passion for wanting Cardiff to succeed and the respect he commands from the players and the hierarchy.
It's not a revelation to say the club is fractured right now and they need a unifying force — like Neil Warnock was — to get everyone on side and to ensure City enjoy a successful season next year in order to build momentum back again.
However, with Wasserman conducting the search, it at least means the next manager will not simply be decided on the whim of Vincent Tan and that the owner, at the very least, is open to entrusting others outside of his very small inner network to draw up an outstanding shortlist for the job.
After all, many managers will see the potential this club has and how next season represents a fresh start on a clean slate. It presents any would-be manager with an opportunity to really grab this club by the scruff of the neck, mould it to their own vision and set it on course of real, meaningful, long-term success.
The emergence of exciting young players, the stadium, the big catchment area and sizeable fan base all make it a very attractive job for good candidates.