The 2018–19 season was Cardiff City's 120th season in their existence and their second in the Premier League. Cardiff were promoted to the top tier of English football league system for the first time since 2013 during the 2017–18 season. Along with competing in the Premier League, the club also participated in the FA Cup and EFL Cup. The season covered the period from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019.
On 21 January, a Piper PA-46 Malibu light aircraft transporting Cardiff's recently signed player Emiliano Sala was crashed off Alderney, in the Channel Islands. The aircraft had been travelling from Nantes, France, to Cardiff. The wreckage of the aircraft was found thirteen days later. He was confirmed dead on 7 February. Two days before the tragedy, Sala was presented as a Cardiff player but had not decided on his shirt number at that time. Cardiff and Nantes are in dispute over the payment of the transfer fee for Sala.
Kit
First-team squad
No. Name Pos. Nat. Place of Birth Age Caps Goals Signed from Date signed Fee Ends Goalkeepers1 Neil EtheridgeGKLondon850Walsall1 July 2017Free202112Alex SmithiesGKHuddersfield20Queens Park Rangers1 July 2018£4,000,000202228Brian MurphyGKWaterford100Portsmouth2 September 2016Free2019 Defenders2 Lee PeltierFB/CBLiverpool1390Huddersfield Town24 January 2015Nominal20203 Joe BennettLBRochdale984Aston Villa27 August 2016Free20214 Sean MorrisonCBPlymouth19621Reading15 August 2014£3,180,00020225 Bruno Ecuele MangaCB/RBLibreville1617Lorient1 September 2014£5,360,00020206 Jazz RichardsFB/DMSwansea440Fulham19 July 2016Swap Deal202013Callum PatersonRB/CMLondon6414Heart of Midlothian1 July 2017£400,000202218Greg CunninghamLBGalway80Preston North End1 July 2018£4,000,000202122Sol BambaCB Ivry-sur-Seine10110Free agent11 October 2016Free2020 Midfielders 7Harry ArterCMSidcup250Bournemouth9 August 2018Loan2019 8Joe RallsCM/LMAldershot20818Academy30 September 2011Trainee202211Josh MurphyLWWembley303Norwich City12 June 2018 £11,000,000 202215Leandro BacunaCM/RBGroningen110Reading31 January 2019£4,000,000202317Aron GunnarssonCM/DMAkureyri2928525Coventry City8 July 2011£350,000201919Nathaniel Mendez-LaingRW/LWBirmingham6211Rochdale1 July 2017Free202121Víctor CamarasaCMMeliana335Real Betis9 August 2018Loan201923Kadeem HarrisLWWestminster807Wycombe Wanderers30 January 2012£150,000201933Junior HoilettLW/RWBrampton11516Free agent10 October 2016Free2021 Forwards 9Danny WardCF/LWBradford365Rotherham United1 July 2017£1,600,000202010Kenneth ZohoreCFCopenhagen10124KV Kortrijk6 July 2016£300,000202014Bobby Decordova-ReidCF/AMBristol295Bristol City1 July 2018£10,000,000202229Oumar NiasseCFOuakam130Everton18 January 2019Loan201932Rhys HealeyCFManchester151Connah's Quay Nomads28 January 2013£25,0002020 Out on loan24Gary MadineCFGateshead190Bolton Wanderers31 January 2018£5,000,000202130Omar BogleCFSandwell123Wigan Athletic17 August 2017£700,000202031Mark HarrisAM/CFSwansea20Academy8 January 2017Trainee2019—Lee TomlinAM/WGLeicester161Bristol City13 July 2017Undisclosed2020 Players omitted from 25 man squad16Matthew ConnollyCB/RBBarnet1657Queens Park Rangers22 August 2012£500,000202020Loïc DamourCM/DMChantilly350Bourg-Péronnas6 July 2017Free2019—Stuart O'KeefeCMEye452Crystal Palace28 January 2015£910,0002019
Appearances and goals for the club and contracts are up to date as of 13 May 2019.
Statistics
!colspan=14|Player(s) out on loan:
Goals record
Rank No. Nat. Po. Name Premier League FA Cup League Cup Total114CFBobby Decordova-Reid 500521CMVíctor Camarasa 5005313RBCallum Paterson 400419RWNathaniel Mendez-Laing 400422CBSol Bamba 4004611RWJosh Murphy 300333LWJunior Hoilett 300384 CBSean Morrison 10015 CBBruno Ecuele Manga 00119 CFDanny Ward 100110CFKenneth Zohore 100117CMAron Gunnarsson 100123LWKadeem Harris 1001Own Goals 1001Total 340135
Disciplinary record
Rank No. Nat. Po. Name Premier League FA Cup League Cup Total 17 CMHarry Arter 10000000001000222CBSol Bamba 70000000070034 CBSean Morrison 60000000060021CMVíctor Camarasa 60000000060053 LBJoe Bennett 5000000005008 CMJoe Ralls 40100000040172 RBLee Peltier 40000000040013RBCallum Paterson 40000000040017CMAron Gunnarsson 40000000040033LWJunior Hoilett 4000000004001118LBGreg Cunningham 300000000300121 GKNeil Etheridge 20000000020011LWJosh Murphy 20000000020015CMLeandro Bacuna 200000000200156 RBJazz Richards 00000010010010CFKenneth Zohore 10000000010020CMLoïc Damour 00000010010023LMKadeem Harris 100000000100Total 65010002006701
Suspensions PlayerDate receivedOffenceLength of suspensionJoe Ralls6 October 2018 vs Tottenham Hotspur3 gamesFulham (H), Liverpool (A), Leicester City (H)Harry Arter3 November 20185x 1 gameBrighton & Hove Albion (H)
Contracts Date Position Nationality Name Status Contract Length Expiry Date Ref. 3 July 2018 LB Joe Bennett Signed 3 years June 2021 6 July 2018 CB Matthew Connolly Signed 2 years June 2020 6 July 2018 RW Nathaniel Mendez-Laing Signed 3 years June 2021 6 July 2018 CB Sean Morrison Signed 4 years June 2022 6 July 2018 GK Brian Murphy Signed 1 year June 2019 6 July 2018 RB Callum Paterson Signed 4 years June 2022 6 July 2018 RB Lee Peltier Signed 2 years June 2020 6 July 2018 CM Joe Ralls Signed 4 years June 2022 9 July 2018 CM Aron Gunnarsson Signed 1 year June 2019
Transfers
In Date Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. 1 July 2018 LB Greg Cunningham Preston North End Undisclosed 1 July 2018 LW Josh Murphy Norwich City Undisclosed 1 July 2018 CF Bobby Reid Bristol City Undisclosed 1 July 2018 GK Alex Smithies Queens Park Rangers Undisclosed 19 January 2019 CF Emiliano Sala Nantes £15,000,000 31 January 2019 CM Leandro Bacuna Reading £4,000,000 1 February 2019 CF Danny Wiliams Haverfordwest County Undisclosed Spent: – Undisclosed (~ £32,000,000)
Out Date Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.1 July 2018CBRhys AbbruzzeseUnattachedReleased1 July 2018CFFrédéric GounongbeUnattachedReleased1 July 2018CBGreg Halford AberdeenReleased1 July 2018RWMatthew Kennedy St JohnstoneReleased1 July 2018CFOgo ObiUnattachedReleased1 July 2018FWKeiron ProctorUnattachedReleased1 July 2018GKBen WilsonBradford CityReleased1 July 2018LBConnor YoungUnattachedReleased8 August 2018GKLee CampBirmingham CityFree transfer10 January 2019LWAnthony PilkingtonWigan AthleticFree transfer1 February 2019CFIbrahim MeiteCrawley TownFree transfer
Loan in Start date Position Nationality Name From End date Ref. 9 August 2018 CM Harry Arter Bournemouth 31 May 2019 9 August 2018 CM Víctor Camarasa Real Betis 31 May 2019 18 January 2019 CF Oumar Niasse Everton 31 May 2019 4 February 2019 CM Aaron Bolger Shamrock Rovers 31 May 2019
Loan out Start date Position Nationality Name To End date Ref. 2 August 2018 AM Mark Harris Newport County 4 January 2019 7 August 2018 CF Omar Bogle Birmingham City 29 January 2019 24 August 2018 CF Rhys Healey Milton Keynes Dons 4 January 2019 24 August 2018 CM Stuart O'Keefe Plymouth Argyle 4 January 2019 4 January 2019 CB Paul McKay Morecambe 31 May 2019 7 January 2019 CF Gary Madine Sheffield United 31 May 2019 8 January 2019 SS Lee Tomlin Peterborough United 31 May 2019 11 January 2019 CB Jack Bodenham The New Saints 30 June 2019 23 January 2019 LW Mark Harris Port Vale 30 June 2019 24 January 2019 CB Ciaron Brown Livingston 30 June 2019 28 January 2019 CF Omar Bogle Portsmouth 30 June 2019 31 January 2019 CF Jack McKay Chesterfield 30 June 2019 31 January 2019 CF James Waite Hereford 30 June 2019
Competitions
Friendlies
Premier League
League table
Result summary
Results by matchday
Matches On 14 June 2018, the Premier League fixtures for the forthcoming season were announced.
FA Cup
The third round draw was made live on BBC by Ruud Gullit and Paul Ince from Stamford Bridge on 3 December 2018.
EFL Cup
The second round draw was made from the Stadium of Light on 16 August.
Summary Games played 40 (38 Premier League, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup)Games won 10 (10 Premier League, 0 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)Games drawn 4 (4 Premier League, 0 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)Games lost 26 (24 Premier League, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup)Goals scored 35 (34 Premier League, 0 FA Cup, 1 League Cup)Goals conceded 73 (70 Premier League, 1 FA Cup, 3 League Cup)Goal difference -39Clean sheets 10 (10 Premier League, 0 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)Yellow cards 67 (65 Premier League, 0 FA Cup, 2 League Cup)Red cards 1 (1 Premier League, 0 FA Cup, 0 League Cup)Worst Discipline Harry Arter (10 , 0 , 0 )Best result 4–2 vs Fulham (20 Oct 18)2–0 vs Bournemouth (2 Feb 19)2–0 vs West Ham United (9 Mar 19)2–0 vs Brighton & Hove Albion (16 Mar 19)2–0 vs Manchester United (12 May 19)Worst result 0–5 vs Manchester City (22 Sep 18)Most appearances Bruno Ecuele Manga (40 starts, 0 subs)Top scorer Victor Camarasa (5) Bobby Decordova-Reid (5)Most Cleans Sheets Neil Etheridge (10)Points 34
Club staff
Backroom staff PositionNameManager Neil WarnockAssistant manager Kevin BlackwellFirst-team coach Ronnie JepsonGoalkeeper coach Andy DibbleAssistant coach James RowberryHead of medical services Paul GodfreyClub doctor Dr. Len NokesFirst-team physiotherapist James RowlandHead of Fitness & Conditioning Lee SouthernwoodSenior Strength & Conditioning Mike BeereSports scientist Ben ParryHead scout Glyn ChamberlainFirst Team Analyst Jack RadusinPlayer Liaison Officer Callum DaviesKit and Equipment Manager Paul Carter
Board of directors PositionNameChairman Mehmet DalmanGeneral Manager Ken ChooFinance Director Richard ThompsonNon-ExecutiveBoard MembersFootball Club Steve Borley (since 2003) Marco Caramella (since 2017) Derek Chee Seng Chin (since 2010) Veh Ken Choo (since 2016) Mehmet Dalman (since 2012) Ronald Issen (since 2018)Non-ExecutiveBoard MembersCardiff City (Holdings) Danni Rais (since 2012)Club Secretary David Beeby
References