Erol Bulut in talks to join new club after Cardiff City exit – Hull City were linked recently | OneFootball

According to reports in the Turkish media, former Cardiff City boss Erol Bulut is being lined up by Kocaelispor, amid links to Hull City.

Having been sacked by Cardiff City back in September, former Bluebirds boss Erol Bulut has been linked with a move to Championship side Hull City, but it appears that the Germany-born former Turkey U21 international is being lined up for the vacant Kocaelispor managerial position.

Cardiff were relegated from the Championship this season with Omer Riza taking over from Bulut before Aaron Ramsey oversaw their final few games of the campaign and the Welsh club are readying themselves for a first third-tier campaign since the 2002/03 season.

It is unclear as to who will be in charge at Cardiff next season, with former Bolton Wanderers boss Ian Evatt and former Oxford United manager Des Buckingham in the running to take over at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Bulut himself has recently been linked with the job at Hull City, following the Tigers’ surprise decision to sack Ruben Selles after securing their top-flight status on the final day of the campaign – however, that no longer appears to be on the cards.

Bulut set to return to Turkey

According to Turkish media outlet Cagdas Kocaeli, Kocaelispor are lining up the appointment of Bulut, following their promotion to the Turkish Super Lig this season under the management of Ismet Tasdemir.

Tasdemir and Kocaelispor have parted ways, though, since winning the second division in Turkey, and it is now reported that Bulut has already held talks with the club over the role.

Bulut arrived in south Wales in the summer of 2023, having been out of work for six months following his departure from Gaziantep, where he had been the manager for around 18 months.

His managerial career began at Yeni Malatyaspor in October 2017 before a season in charge of Alanyaspor and then eventually earning himself a move to Turkish giants Fenerbahce in August 2020, but he was sacked before the end of the season.

Bulut’s first season in charge of Cardiff saw them finish twelfth after a strong start to the campaign when they had been in the top six and the play-off places in late-October, but he was sacked after collecting just one point from their opening five matches of the 2024/25 campaign.

Hull’s search to replace Selles

Selles, who left Reading mid-way through the campaign to join Hull, owned by Turkish broadcaster and businessman Acun Ilicali, was relieved of his duties at the MKM Stadium earlier this month.

The Tigers had fallen to rock-bottom in the Championship a couple of days before Selles’ arrival before a much-improved final 27 games under his stewardship, whereby they collected 34 points. However, Hull are now looking for another manager – the sixth permanent head coach of the Ilicali reign, which began in January 2022.

It has been reported that former Queens Park Rangers, Sunderland and Rangers manager Michael Beale has been interviewed for the role, whilst Plymouth Argyle boss Miron Muslic remains among the frontrunners, according to the bookmakers.

Hull managed to lift themselves above Luton Town on the final day of the season with a 1-1 draw at Fratton Park against Portsmouth as the Hatters suffered a 5-2 hammering at the hands of West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns.