Cardiff City announced on their official website on Saturday that Erol Bulut will be their new first team manager.

The Bluebirds were searching for a new permanent manager after the club decided against keeping Sabri Lamouchi on, after he kept the club in the Championship.

Who is Erol Bulut?

Cardiff have decided to go down the route of appointing a manager who has no experience in English football, but they will be hoping the 48-year-old can turn the club’s fortunes around.

Bulut was born in Germany, but most of his career as a player and manager was spent in Turkey.

After retiring from professional football, Bulut got into coaching by serving as an assistant manager first at Kartalspor, then at Malatyaspor, before moving on to Elazigspor and Basaksehir.

Then, in 2017, Bulut got his first managerial role, and it was at one of his former clubs, Malatyaspor. He stayed there for two years, managing 69 games before leaving.

He managed another Turkish side in Alanyaspor, but only for a brief spell, before joining Turkish giants Fenerbahce.

However, the 48-year-old didn’t last long at Fenerbahce, with him only taking charge of 34 games. Bulut’s last managerial role before Cardiff was at Gaziantep FK, where he managed 65 games and left the club in January this year.

Bulut has over 25 years of experience in European football, from his playing days to now in coaching. During his time at Malatyaspor, he guided the club to a fifth-place finish and to the Europa League qualifiers.

Bulut will now be hoping his experience in Turkey can put him in good stead for his first role in English football.

Can Cardiff City be play-off contenders next season?

Cardiff are a side that has been sleeping their way down the Championship table, going from a team that was always in and around the top six to a bottom-half side.

So, the Bluebirds will be hoping Bulut's surprise appointment can be the springboard the club needs.

There is no reason why the club can’t exceed expectations next season and aim for a top-half finish. Clubs throughout the years have shown it can be done, and Cardiff are no different. It will all come down to what the club’s business is like in the summer transfer window and how Bulut takes to Championship football.

But, with a strong transfer window and players improving who are already at the club, there is no reason why Cardiff can’t make themselves a decent side next season.