The Sol Bamba interview: To manage Cardiff City again would be my dream job

By Matt Chedgzoy

“I say all the time to everybody that this is my club.” So says Sol Bamba – and you know he means it.

Bamba’s return to his beloved Cardiff City as assistant to Sabri Lamouchi last season represented the first steps into what the former Ivory Coast international hopes will be a long and successful coaching career.

Bamba is in the process of completing his UEFA Pro Licence with the Football Association of Wales, a qualification that would allow him to manage in the top division of any UEFA nation’s football pyramid on a permanent basis.

The FAW’s course has proved to be highly popular with experienced former pros of the stature of Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Tim Cahill among those to have received their qualification from Welsh football’s governing body.

And at a recent pro licence assessment event, Bamba reflected on beginning his coaching journey in south Wales.

“It’s been a good journey so far”, he said.

“I did the B course, I did the A course and now I’m doing the Pro Licence.

“Hopefully when I finish that, I’ll be able to start my management journey.”

Other members of Bamba’s cohort include former France international Yohan Cabaye and Nice’s veteran defender Dante Bonfim.

Bamba explained that the combination of ex-pros like Cabaye and Bonfim, as well as established coaches also completing the course, has helped him with his own progress.

“The people here are good, they look after you and it’s a very good programme.

“We mix with former pro-players and even people who haven’t played at the highest level, we all work together.”

Bamba gained his first professional dugout experience at the beginning of last year, returning to Cardiff City after he departed the club as a player in the summer of 2021.

Eighteen months later, he found himself back at the Cardiff City Stadium as second-in-command to new interim manager Lamouchi.

The pair, along with long-standing coach Tom Ramasut, had the clear but complex task of keeping a struggling Cardiff side in England’s second tier.

Sol was honoured to have been afforded the chance to keep his former side in the league:

“I say all the time to everybody that this is my club”, he said.

After tasting defeat in their first three games, Lamouchi and Bamba handed Cardiff their first victory in over 100 days with a 0-2 away win at Birmingham City before going on to record memorable away triumphs at Blackpool, Watford and Rotherham to secure the side’s Championship status with two games in hand.

“I was very happy to start my coaching journey with this wonderful club”, he continued.

“It was tough because of the position we were in but I was glad to keep the club up.”

Cardiff decided not to renew Lamouchi and Bamba’s contracts at the end of the 2022/23 season, recruiting former Fenerbahce boss Erol Bulut to the permanent position of first team manager.

Just under a year later, Cardiff find themselves on the fringes of the play-off spots as the season approaches its climax and Bamba is pleased with the progress that the club has made under Bulut’s guidance.

Bamba added: “So far it’s been a good season, compared to last year when we fought to stay in the league.”

At times this season it has looked like Cardiff may be drawn into the kind of relegation battle that they spent much of last season in but Bulut’s side now find themselves within reaching distance of the top six.

“We’re a couple of points off the play-offs but it will be difficult,” he said.

“(It would be good to) finish mid-table and build on that for next year. If we keep the manager and bring players in to add to the quality that he already has, there’s a good chance.”

As it stands, Bulut’s one-year contract is set to expire this summer and despite indicating that he’d like to remain in south Wales beyond the end of the campaign, so far there has been no news to suggest that the club are imminently planning to tie him down to a new contract.

“I think the club took the safest option by giving him a year just to see how it would go”, said Bamba.

“Given how he has performed this season so far, I think he deserves to sign a new deal.”

With Cardiff’s play-off chances still real but somewhat slim, attention is already beginning to turn to planning for the 2024/25 season.

“It would be good to sort it out as quickly as possible so that [Bulut] can start getting ready for next season.

“I don’t think it’s a risk because he’s enjoying himself.”

In the meantime, Bamba has managerial ambitions of his own. The UEFA pro licence is the highest level of coaching qualification available in Europe and is a requirement for any manager wishing to compete in competitions like the Champions League and Europa League.

Having whet his appetite under Lamouchi last season, Sol is eager to complete the FAW’s course and take his first steps into management.

He said: “I want to test myself. I was fortunate to play at the highest level for 20 years – football gave me everything so I want to give back.”

So, what does the start of his career as a manager look like?

“I want a job first of all!”, he laughed.

“I’m taking it step-by step.

“I don’t want to burn bridges, I want to do it right so hopefully after finishing my pro licence I can get a job and be a successful manager.”

Bamba played 118 times for Cardiff in a five-year spell that included a season in the Premier League. Having already secured cult hero status with the Bluebirds’ faithful, what would it mean for Sol to return to the dugout at the Cardiff City Stadium in a permanent role?

“Oh! That would be a dream job,” he smiled.

“Cardiff is my club. They gave me everything as a player and gave me my first coaching job so if I have the chance to manage them one day then I will jump on it.”