Bluebirds hero Sol Bamba will return as his assistant
SABRI Lamouchi has been unveiled as Cardiff City first team coach with Sol Bamba as his assistant.
It is understood that Lamouchi is on a deal until the end of the season.
The pair take over a Bluebirds side currently sitting above the relegation zone and winless in 12 across all competitions.
The Frenchman becomes the third manager to take the helm this season, following in the footsteps of the ousted Mark Hudson.
Hudson took over following the surprise dismissal of Steve Morrison back in September, but the former Cardiff Captain was himself sacked on January 14 after a string of poor results.
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Dean Whitehead took charge of the team following Hudson’s departure, overseeing their exit from the FA Cup at the hands of Premier League side Leeds United as well as last Saturday’s 0-1 loss at home to Millwall.
Whitehead will remain part of the coaching staff.
Lamouchi has previously managed former Championship rivals Nottingham Forest, joining them at the start of the 2019/20 season.
Vincent Tan, who has finally filled the vacancy left by Mark Hudson, said: “I’m confident that Sabri will be able to deliver what we know this squad is capable of achieving and I look forward to the games that we have ahead of us.
“I’d also like to welcome back Sol to Sabri’s coaching staff, a sentiment I know that you will share. I want to thank Dean, Tom and Graham for their commitment and diligence during the interim period and am pleased that they will be part of our plans going forward.”
Who is Sabri Lamouchi?
Lamouchi had previously managed former Championship rivals Nottingham Forest, joining them at the start of the 2019/20 season.
The club narrowly missed out on the play-offs during his first season in charge. However, after a poor start to 2020/21, which included a League Cup defeat to Barnsley which was described by Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis as “humiliating”, saw the Frenchman sacked in October 2020.
Forest fans have reacted well to Lamouchi’s appointment at Cardiff:
During his time at the City Ground, Lamouchi’s playing style was described as defensive-minded with a focus on catching the opposition on the counter.
Lamouchi has also had spells as manager at French club Rennes and Qatari clubs El-Jaish and Al-Duhail.
As a player, the Lyon-born midfielder played for a host of French and Italian clubs, including the likes of Inter Milan and Marseille, and was capped 12 times for the national team.
The Frenchman’s first job in management came in 2012 when he took over the Ivory Coast national team, where he first began working with his new assistant coach.
Lamouchi led the Elephants to qualification for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where they narrowly missed out on qualifying for the knockout stages following a 2-1 loss to Greece.
His first game in charge of The Bluebirds will be Luton Town away on January 31.
