Aaron Ramsey takes charge of Cardiff City after Omer Riza sacking

Aaron Ramsey will take charge of Cardiff City in their remaining Championship fixtures following the dismissal of Omer Riza.

Riza was informed of his sacking in the aftermath of Cardiff's 2-0 defeat to Sheffield United which left the Bluebirds in 23rd, one point from safety.

With demotion to League One on the line, Cardiff have turned to former Wales captain Ramsey in an attempt to galvanise the club and spare them of dropping into the third tier for the first time since 2003.

The 34-year-old, who was already on the books at his boyhood club having rejoined Cardiff in 2023, will lead the team for the first time in a crucial clash against Oxford United at the Cardiff City Stadium on Easter Monday.

It will be Ramsey's first taste of management and the former Arsenal and Juventus midfielder will be accompanied by Chris Gunter and Joe Ralls.

Time was up for Riza

Former Watford coach Riza arrived in the Welsh capital as an assistant to Erol Bulut and initially succeeded the Turkish tactician on a caretaker basis after he was sacked at the end of September.

Riza impressed during his temporary stint and was offered the role on a full-time basis in December, but the club's form soon deteriorated and the Bluebirds only won five of the following 25 Championship matches to slip into the relegation zone.

Friday's 2-0 defeat at the hands of Sheffield United extended Cardiff's winless run to five matches and the club have decided to take action with just three games remaining of the current campaign.

A club statement read: "We'd like to thank Omer for his passion and effort during his time as Cardiff City manager and wish him the very best for his next steps in the game."

Three games to save Cardiff's season

Cardiff's youngest-ever player when making his first-team debut aged 16 in 2007, Ramsey has minimal time to prepare for his first showdown with Oxford.

The Bluebirds will then host West Bromwich Albion in their penultimate match of the season before heading to Carrow Road to face Norwich City, who have slipped out of play-off contention following a disappointing run of results.

Tipped by current Wales boss Craig Bellamy to enjoy managerial success in the future, Ramsey is understood to have provided tactical insight for Riza earlier in the season while the midfielder was sidelined with an injury.

Cardiff are currently one point behind Derby County in 21st after the Rams missed the opportunity to bridge the gap to the bottom three following a 1-0 defeat at home to Luton Town.

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