Cardiff City

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Cardiff City's coaching team for the 2025-25 season has been finalised, with new head coach Brian Barry-Murphy bringing in another member of his former Rochdale staff in Kevin Gibbins.

Gibbins has been appointed head of performance at Cardiff following the departure of Jonny Northeast, who has left the League One club for Besiktas.

Gibbins previously worked under Barry-Murphy at Rochdale and leaves the National League to join the Bluebirds.

"Kevin has a deep understanding of the adaptation physically in terms of what fitness we require," Barry-Murphy told the Cardiff website.

"His appointment is of paramount importance, and I'm really grateful for the club to give me that support to get somebody in who I believe is best in class in such an important role."

Gibbins joins former Rochdale colleague Lee Riley, who has left a role in Manchester City's academy to become Cardiff's assistant head coach.

Gavin Ward is to stay on as the Welsh club's goalkeeping coach having returned to his former club in September 2024.

Cardiff have also brought in data analyst Rob Clarke, who they say will complement lead first-team analyst Luke Foulkes and first-team analyst Matt Jenkins.

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Cardiff City have allowed forward Roko Simic to join Bundesliga 2 team Karlsruher SC on loan for the 2025-26 season.

The 21-year-old Italian signed for the Bluebirds in August 2024 and has yet to make his competitive debut for Cardiff, spending part of last season on loan at Kortrijk in Belgium.

BBC Sport Wales asked Cardiff City fans for their views on potential new ownership of the club by a Gareth Bale-led consortium and the new management after the appointment of Brian Barry-Murphy as head coach.

Kathryn:

I have supported Cardiff City for 60 years and over the past few seasons I have not enjoyed it at all. Tan has no clue how to run a football club and it breaks my heart to find us in Division One. We need some fresh blood and I would be delighted to see Gareth Bale and his Associates come in and make my club a Premier League Club again.

David:

I think the club need a change of direction, no identity or solid leadership for a while now at Cardiff City, we became an established Championship team but then struggled with lack of, or correct investment, in the right players and managers. Grateful to Mr V Tan for the many good seasons and taking us to the Premiership and previous good players and managers, but now in League 1, a rebuild and new leadership is required to steer the club in right direction and unite fans and club again.

Callum:

BBM quite an underwhelming appointment, but has fantastic opportunity to work with some really talented youngsters. Bale would have the City rocking. Although the fans would take anyone to replace Tan at this point, not just an American consortium fronted by Bale!

Shaun:

[Bale] Would make a lot of us fans very happy. Tan selling generally would but with a footballing hero local lad would be even better.

Kevin:

Very average season ahead. Can't see how we will attract good players in League One. Need a change of ownership and a clear football strategy.

Richard:

Fantastic news that Gareth Bale wants to spearhead a takeover of our club. We need people on the board with football knowledge unlike the present board of directors who are responsible for running down our club into League One.

Ben:

I hope Bale and co buy us! Having a fan at the wheel would make such a difference compared to someone who never shows up.

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Cardiff City will host League Two side Swindon Town in the first round of the EFL Cup, with the tie to be played in the week commencing 11 August.

Swindon, managed by the experienced Ian Holloway, finished 12th in the fourth tier last season.

The home draw will be welcome for new Bluebirds boss Brian Barry-Murphy, whose side go to Port Vale in League One on Saturday, 9 August.

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Cardiff City will take on Arsenal Under-21s in the 2025-26 EFL Trophy.

The Bluebirds were drawn alongside Newport County and Exeter City in Southern Group A of the competition on Wednesday.

Sixteen invited under-21 teams from Premier League clubs were added to the groups on Thursday, with the young Gunners now in alongside Cardiff.

The competition will begin in September, with the top two sides from each group progressing to the knockout stages.

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Cardiff City will kick-off their League One campaign against Peterborough United at the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday, 2 August.

The Bluebirds are preparing for their first season in the third tier of English football in 22 years after being relegated from the Championship.

Brian Barry-Murphy's team visit newly promoted Port Vale in their first League One away match on Saturday, 9 August.

Cardiff will host Exeter City on Boxing Day and then Stevenage four days later before a trip to Wycombe Wanderers on New Year's Day.

The Bluebirds will conclude their 2025-26 season at Mansfield Town on Saturday, 2 May.

• Follow this link for Cardiff City's full 2025-26 fixture list.

*Dates and kick-off times will be subject to change.

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Kieron Evans has joined National League side Eastleigh following his release by Cardiff City.

Evans, 23, played 39 games and scored three goals during a loan spell with League Two Newport County last season.

But having left Cardiff this summer, the midfielder has dropped down a division to sign for Eastleigh, who finished 13th in the fifth tier last season.

Eastleigh say they "fought off competition from EFL clubs" to land former Wales youth international Evans, who made 11 senior appearances for Cardiff after coming through the club's academy.

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Cardiff City have a new head coach in Brian Barry-Murphy, while speculation continues about whether Gareth Bale could soon have a role at the club.

Bale is involved in a bid to buy the Bluebirds and is hopeful the potential deal will come off.

But what do Cardiff fans make of the suggestion that Real Madrid and Wales legend Bale may end up playing a part at his home-city club?

And how do you feel about the appointment of former Rochdale boss Barry-Murphy as successor to Omer Riza?

We want to know your views as Cardiff build towards their first League One season since 2003, following relegation from the Championship in May.

Let us know you think by clicking here.

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Cardiff City and Newport County will face each other in next season's EFL Trophy.

The Welsh sides, along with Exeter City, are in Southern Group A of the competition, which was won by Peterborough United last season.

The group's fourth team will be one of eight invited under-21 sides from Premier League clubs, which will be confirmed on Thursday, 26 June.

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A friendly with National League side Southend United will conclude Cardiff City's pre-season trip to Spain next month.

The Bluebirds have confirmed new boss Brian Barry-Murphy will take his team to Murcia, in the south-east of Spain, for a week of warm-weather training in early July.

They'll finish off with a friendly against beaten National League play-off finalists Southend on Saturday, 12 July, with fans able to attend the game at the Pinatar Arena.

Cardiff's pre-season campaign then continues at Yeovil Town on 15 July before games against Cambridge United, Queens Park Rangers and Notts County.

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Cardiff City Supporters Trust claim Gareth Bale's reported interest in buying into the League One club amounts to little more than a "fishing trip" - with no formal bid on the table.

The former Wales captain confirmed on Monday he is part of a group that made direct contact with Bluebirds owner Vincent Tan, and is hopeful an attempt to buy Cardiff will succeed.

But the Trust say the group has yet to follow up their initial proposal with a firm bid.

"As a result of a conversation the Trust has had with the club at board level, it seems that no formal bid has been made for the club to consider," said Trust chair Keith Morgan.

"Rather, a notice of intention to make such an offer was delivered direct to owner Vincent Tan who seems to have had little interest in it and, in the absence of an actual bid, the matter was not progressed further.

"The board have confirmed that no bid has been received and that one is not anticipated."

Morgan claims the consortium are merely on a "fishing trip" to test which clubs might be available to buy, citing reports that they had also attempted to take over fellow League One side Plymouth Argyle.

Morgan says guidance he's had from former business colleagues in the accountancy world is it would be "inadvisable" for Tan to sell up at this stage.

"As a consequence of last season's relegation, the club's income from TV/media rights and the solidarity payments through the EFL agreement with the Premier League has dropped by a total of approximately £10m," said Morgan.

"This obviously impacts on the selling value of the club.

"The formal hearing in the ongoing legal claim against FC Nantes is due to be held in just a few months' time in September with a ruling laid down by the end of this calendar year.

"If the claim is successful (and there is great optimism that it will) then the club could benefit by many millions of pounds.

"This would significantly increase the value of the club."

Cardiff are not commenting on reports that Bale and the consortium want to buy the recently-relegated club.

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Just over seven weeks since Cardiff City said goodbye to the Championship with defeat at Norwich City, the Bluebirds' preparations for the 2025-26 League One season are officially under way.

Cardiff's squad reconvened at their Vale Resort training base on Monday, with players undergoing fitness testing following the summer break.

The Bluebirds will go through pre-season with a new man at the helm, after Brian Barry-Murphy was appointed head coach last week.

For the first time since he broke through from the academy in 2011, there will be no Joe Ralls at Cardiff during this pre-season after the club announced his departure.

Andy Rinomhota, last year's players' player of the season, has also gone, as have Aaron Ramsey, Anwar El Ghazi, Yakou Meite, Dimitrios Goutas, Jamilu Collins, Raheem Conte and Kieron Evans, while loan signings Sivert Mannsverk and Will Alves have returned to their parent clubs.

While there are players returning to the fold after loan spells elsewhere - such as Kion Etete, Ryan Wintle and youngster Joel Colwill - Cardiff's squad looks a little depleted given that they are yet to sign a player this summer.

For Barry-Murphy, there is work to do in the transfer market as well as on the training ground.

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Andy Rinomhota says he leaves Cardiff City with "nothing but respect" after the club announced his departure.

Rinomhota was Cardiff's players' player of the season as they were relegated from the Championship in 2024-25.

It was Rinomhota's best campaign since he joined Cardiff from Reading in 2022 but, with his contract up this summer, the 28-year-old is on the hunt for a new club.

Cardiff said his exit follows "talks with the first-team management".

"My time at Cardiff City comes to an end after three years full of ups, downs and lessons I'll carry with me," Rinomhota wrote on social media., external

"It wasn't always perfect and there were challenges, but I'll always be grateful for the journey.

"I leave with nothing but respect and gratitude towards the club and fans.

"Wishing the club all the best for the future and hoping they get back to where they belong."

Rinomhota is primarily a midfielder, but impressed after being asked to play at right-back at times last season.

He was one of the few success stories in a miserable season for Cardiff, but his departure leaves new boss Brian Barry-Murphy with another vacancy to fill as the Bluebirds prepare for life in League One.

Rinomhota made 84 appearances for Cardiff, 36 of which were during their relegation year.

He had been a fringe figure in the previous campaign, when he had a spell on loan at Rotherham United.