Cardiff City

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.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

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.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

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.

Image source, BBC Sport

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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.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

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.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

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.

Image source, Cardiff City FC

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.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

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.

Image source, Huw Evans agency

New Cardiff City boss Brian Barry-Murphy has pledged to settle the futures of midfielders Joe Ralls and Andy Rinomhota "quickly and promptly".

Having joined the Bluebirds in 2011, Ralls, 31, is part of the furniture in the Welsh capital.

Barry-Murphy was aware of Rinomhota when he was rising through the ranks of Reading academy, the club he left for Cardiff in 2022.

Ralls was injured in March, prompting fears he had played his last game for Cardiff.

His contract expired at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

Like Ralls, Rinomhota has been in talks with the Cardiff hierarchy over his future since their relegation from the Championship to League one.

Barry-Murphy said: "I know Andy from when he was at Reading as a young player and watched his career grow.

"And obviously Joe Ralls has a deep relationship with this club, and has been so good for everybody here. So I think all the respect for those guys, we have an obligation to deal with this situation really quickly and promptly.

"So I'll be having those discussions over the next two days, and as a process then to communicate that clearly with our supporters after we communicate with the players, will be the best way to move that forward."

Barry-Murphy also pledged to bring in the sort of player-management principles he experienced at Manchester City.

"The idea is that we want to do things on our terms," he said.

"It's a really simple process that all of the players who play for us have been really privileged to pay for the club, and they leave on our terms if the club receives an offer that works for them, not the other way around.

"You know, we're not forced to do anything that we don't want to do. And I think that leads to a very simple process of working and it makes the players really clear on what is best practice."

Image source, FAW

With no south Wales derby to look forward to after their relegation to League One, Bluebirds fans can instead look forward to a potential encounter against Swansea City Under-21s.

Cardiff and Swansea's junior teams have won wildcard entries to Welsh domestic football's 2025-26 Nathaniel MG Cup for a third successive season.

The Cymru Premier's dominant force, The New Saints, are reigning holders of the Welsh League Cup.

Cardiff''s youngsters reached the semi-finals last season, losing 4-1 in a penalty shootout at Aberystwyth Town.

The draw for the 2025-26 first round takes places on Wednesday, 25 June and Cardiff will be hoping to go at least one step further this time around.

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He is the seventh manager Cardiff City have turned to in the past five years, but just who is Brian Barry-Murphy?

The 46-year-old will face the cameras later this week after signing a three-year deal to become the Bluebirds' head coach, leaving his coaching role at Leicester City.

Cardiff fans will be keen to get to know the person charged with leading the club in League One following their recent relegation from the Championship.

Here, BBC Sport Wales, picks out some of the more interesting trivia around the new man at Cardiff City Stadium.

• He is the son of Gaelic sport icon Jimmy Barry-Murphy, who won All-Ireland titles in football and hurling as well as titles as a coach. Roy Keane has previously described him as one of his sporting idols.

• From Cork, he broke through at Cork City as a teenager, with Football Association of Wales chief executive Noel Mooney a former team-mate.

• He won caps at Under-21 level for the Republic of Ireland, lining up alongside future Cardiff City midfielder Stephen McPhail.

• David Moyes brought the defensive midfielder over from Ireland when he signed the then 20-year-old for Preston North End in 1999, Barry-Murphy playing once as the Deepdale side won promotion to the second tier.

• He made his English football debut against Wrexham in the EFL Cup – and was sent off against Wrexham later than season in the EFL Trophy.

• After loan spells at Southend and Hartlepool United, Chris Turner signed him for Sheffield Wednesday as they were relegated from the Championship.

• He played under future Wrexham boss Graham Barrow and Wales and Sheffield United assistant Alan Knill at Bury before joining final club Rochdale in 2010.

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• He became a player-coach at Rochdale (above) under Keith Hill – winning promotion to League One in 2014 – before taking charge as manager in 2019. He won six of the final 11 games to keep the side in the third tier.

• His Rochdale side took Manchester United to penalties at Old Trafford in the 2019/20 EFL Cup, 16-year-old Luke Matheson grabbing Dale's equaliser 14 minutes from time.

• A young Rochdale side – including would-be Wrexham midfielder Ollie Rathbone – also took Newcastle United to an FA Cup replay that same season.

• Barry-Murphy quit Rochdale after they were unable to avoid relegation in his third season, promptly joining Manchester City to replace Enzo Maresca in charge of the side's Under-21/23 sides and winning back-to-back Premier League youth titles.

• Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis, Oscar Bobb, Romeo Lavia, Liam Delap, Nico O'Reilly and James McAtee are among those who played under Barry-Murphy at City, as did current Cardiff midfielder Alex Robertson.

• Barry-Murphy has two children with TV and radio presenter partner Sarah-Jane Crawford.