ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING / HEARTBREAKING BY CARDIFF COMMITTEE

Sol Bamba found out onTwitter that Cardiff did not want me, the club were not honest or straight with him, it really hurt Sol Bamba and he said “I deserved better”

They have done this to so many players.


“ READING THE SHOCKING / HEARTBREAKING STORY OF HOW SOL BAMBA WAS TREATED BY THE CARDIFF CITY COMMITTEE “


“ I found out on Twitter I was leaving Cardiff City and it broke my heart“


Sol Bamba's exit from Cardiff this summer came as a shock to many. Even those who believed he wouldn't have a big role to play on the pitch this season were unanimous in their belief that some sort of deal could be struck to keep him at the club.

Bamba was hopeful of that, too, right until the moment the Bluebirds announced their retained list for the 2021/22 campaign on June 1. Remarkably, he says that's when he found out he was being let go, too.


"It's a tricky one because I don't want to batter the club. That is not my intention at all," Bamba tells WalesOnline.



By Glen Williams


Sunday 15th August 2021



"I had five unbelievable years and I just want to focus on the positives.

"But if I am completely honest, I was disappointed by the way the club went about it and the way we finished it.

"Everyone knows me at the club, I'm a straight guy, I can handle the truth and I wanted the club to come and be straight with me and say, 'Listen, you're coming back from illness, we want to go in a different direction', whatever it was, just be honest and I will take it. Fine.

"But they didn't do that.

"Funnily enough, I found out I was released like all of you guys - by Twitter.

"I think for everything I did for the football club, I deserved better."


He was out in Paris visiting family at the time and says he had no knowledge the announcement was coming. He remembers thousands of messages flooding through to his phone from those offering support and expressing surprise, while he himself was still in a state of bewilderment.

"It was a shock for everyone. We didn't expect it at all," he adds.

"The biggest one was that we found out on Twitter.

"I was actually in Paris to see my mum and dad and my missus was on holiday in Portugal with her family.

"She was texting me, calling me, same from my brother and sister in Paris, saying, 'Have you seen it?'

"I said, 'No?'

"And that hurt us."

Bamba, as we all know, is far from daft. He says he realises that tough decisions must be made, especially with the financial implications coronavirus have had on football, and often good things must come to an end.

He has been in football long enough to know that, sometimes, things don't move as smoothly as anticipated.

He is not bitter, either. Nor does he bear any ill will. He reiterates time and time again throughout the course of our conversation just how much love he has and will forever have for Cardiff City Football Club.

But that, in fact, is just why it hurt him so deeply. His career has taken in 10 clubs and 46 caps for Ivory Coast, but he thought he had something different with Cardiff and that is why there is an unshakable feeling of disappointment over the manner in which he was released.

"It was heartbreaking. I was disappointed," he adds. "All I wanted was for people to be honest with me.

"I helped the club a lot behind the scenes because that's what I do. I don't want the praise.

"But if you ask them, they will tell you, I've done so much for the club behind the scenes, about managers, players, taking 4am phone calls, anything, I was happy to help.

"The minimum I deserve if you want to keep me, or whatever you want to do with me, just be honest. Come and tell me.

"I shouldn't be surprised. I have been in football a long time, it's a business, but I like to think that was different.

"The relationship we had, I think we had something special."

So, how did it get to this? Well, it's fair to say he has been on quite the journey this year.

For Bamba, 2021 started with the first tentative steps towards recovering from cancer, having been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma on Christmas Eve last year.

It was that drive and determination to get back playing again which spurred him on and kept him grounded during those tough days of chemotherapy treatment. He pleaded with the club to let him get straight back into training as soon as the doctor deemed it OK to do so and the club obliged.

His burning ambition was to play one final game last season and that joyous moment came against Rotherham, when he was brought on for the final 10 seconds of the match. A special occasion which was a real landmark for him.

But in the backdrop of that final week of the season, there was an awkward contract wrangling. Bamba says at the beginning of the week the decision was made to let him go before the club seemingly did a U-turn and told him they hoped they could work something out just a few days later.

What should have been a gleeful few days leading up to that return to the pitch was actually a week which shrouded his future in further mystery.

Nothing more was said after that, he says. Bamba continued to check in with his agent and he reported back that the club were still undecided as to what to do with him.

What Bamba does want to make clear, though, is that whatever decision the club ultimately came to, he made no demands. In fact, he says he would have been happy to jot his signature next to any piece of paper that came his way to stay in a place he fondly and proudly called home.

"I don't want to batter people or be angry, I just want to be clear," he says.

"My family were saying that people were saying it was for money reasons I didn't want to stay.

"People said I wanted to be guaranteed playing. All my career I've never been guaranteed to play! I work hard to make sure I am in the starting XI. No one gave me anything.

"So that is rubbish. I have to make that clear. It's nothing to do with money and it's nothing to do with me wanting to play.



"All my career it's never been about money. It's always been about my family and what is best for my football career. It's never been a money decision, ever.

"I wasn't even offered a contract, anyway! Because if I was offered a contract you can guarantee I would have stayed."

The Bambas, rocked by the news, packed up their Cardiff home immediately and drove north.

Bamba and his family had settled in Cardiff. He loved the place and envisaged himself staying there for years to come, be that on the pitch, coaching or even in an ambassadorial role.

It is no secret that there were conversations with the higher-ups about carving out a pathway for him to develop as a coach once his playing career was over.

That pathway was very much in place under Neil Warnock and Neil Harris, but seemingly moved off course when Mick McCarthy came in at the start of the year.

Bamba had an agreement with the club long before McCarthy's arrival, but the manager did not see a place for him at the club moving forward and that proved a sizeable bump in the road for the defender's long-term plans.

Bamba has known McCarthy a long time, though, and thanked him for his honesty, even if the conversations he had with him did not go exactly how he would have liked.

"I had conversations about me staying at the club long-term, looking after the under-23s and a bit with the first team," Bamba explains.

"I think what changed, and I understand totally, was when we changed manager. When Mick came in with his staff, he didn't see any place for me there.

"I respect that, I understand that, but the club should have told me this.

"When he got appointed, if the club were serious with me, they should have said to him, 'Listen, Sol is going to finish his career at the end of the season and we are going to ask him to look after the under-23s or the under-18s or be an ambassador'.

"Then it's up to him to make the decision. But I don't think that conversation took place.

"There was no misunderstanding from me. The club always said to me they saw a future for me long-term when I stopped playing. The last time I spoke to the chairman in March he said it to me.

"But they needed to speak to Mick and make it clear. He didn't want it, that's fine, no problem.

"To be fair, Mick was really honest. He was the only one who told me what he wanted. I told him I had an 'agreement' with the club but it was nothing to do with him and he wanted to do something else.

"I understand they are going to follow the manager, they have given him a two-year contract and they are going to stand by him. That's absolutely fine. But come and tell me. They didn't do it.

"Until now, I haven't received a message from anyone from the club."

Another reason this seemingly unexpected announcement hit him hard was that he had no time to thank the fans. The Bluebirds supporters who universally took him in and adored him unconditionally for five years.

It took Bamba almost two months to pen a post on social media to thank the supporters, it was that difficult for him to come to terms with his departure.

But now, having had more time to get to grips with the situation, he wants to make sure their support over the years has not gone unnoticed.

"All I can say to the fans is thank you. From minute one, they have been unbelievable. Every single one of them," he says.

"They were fantastic to me and I wanted to say a big thank you.

"I don't want people to think I am angry because I left or I am battering the club, I don't want to do that. That's not my intention at all.

"I don't want to sound like the angry man who left the club! I had a great time there and had a great relationship with the fans.

"And who knows, maybe one day we will be back."

That last sentence will bring some comfort to City fans, no doubt. He never wants to close the door to Cardiff because he utterly adores the place and its people.

But the next chapter in the 36-year-old's career has seen him move back up north and link up with his former manager and old pal Neil Warnock up at Middlesbrough.

"He never changes!" Bamba laughs.

"He is still going crazy. Going crazy at the referee. Still shouting at us in the dressing room, it'll never change.

"The relationship with the gaffer goes beyond football for me.

"For him to give me another chance, it speaks volumes for the relationship we've got."

Bamba says he was nervous when he stepped out on to the grass in front of the gaffer again for the first time as he was determined to impress him. He wanted to earn that contract.

But it was announced this week that Bamba has signed a one-year deal which will take in both playing and coaching roles up at Middlesbrough and that is exactly what he wanted.

"He knows I want to go into management," Bamba says of Warnock.

"I was here when they went down to Cornwall and I stayed with the kids, trained and played with them, and the staff were really impressed with the way I went about it.

"That's how they decided to offer me a player-coach contract. That's perfect for me, because I wanted to play another year and I want to start my career as a coach."

Cardiff's loss is Middlesbrough's gain in that respect. No question about it.

His focus now turns to the season. He knows he has an important role to play up at Boro. He knows he cannot do a 46-game season, but if he can chip in with 20 or 25 appearances and help elsewhere then his experience will be invaluable.

He says he is working his way back slowly to 100 percent match sharpness, but has adapted his game accordingly now he has entered the twilight of his career.

"I remember when a player my age would say to me when I was young, 'Read the game, play with your head and it's easy!'" he says

"That's exactly what I do now, I try to read the game better than everyone else and it stops me getting tired.

"I just shout and speak to the people in front of me. It's easy at my age when you do that!"

So, then, after that summer of turmoil, there is a Championship season to play and both Boro and Cardiff are fancied as play-off contenders this year.

And Bamba fancies the Bluebirds' chances.

"The squad is good, we know that. They haven't lost a lot of players," Bamba says.

"They brought in some quality players. It's just how you're going to manage the Saturday-Tuesday like always.

"There are a few injuries as well. Mozza is struggling a bit, I spoke to him this week. I spoke to Rallsy this week too, it's about keeping players fit.

"You've got bags of experience as well. Flinty, Mozza, Marlon Pack, Rallsy, Leo Bacuna, you've got a great squad.

"Of course, you are favourites for minimum top six, maybe more. And you've got a manager who knows the league.

"You're definitely one of the favourites, for sure."

A positive appraisal, then, from a man who played more than 100 times for the club and called Cardiff home for five years, securing a Premier League promotion in the process.

With that in mind, it hits differently when he refers to Cardiff as "they" or "you", but when that is put back to him, in typical Bamba fashion, he responds with a simple shrug and that big old smile.

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

He says he wasn’t offered a contract. That’s a pretty good indication he was going to be released.

But yeah he should have been told.

Sol will score the winner against us…… karma

He should have been checking this site he’d have known at the beginning of the year, if he had.

He should have been checking this site he’d have known at the beginning of the year, if he had.

Ha ha that’s very funny.

Sol will score the winner against us…… karma

Karma? How?

Reply Twitter:

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

TBH most of us have lost employment during our working careers. It is not a nice thing but it is a part of life.

You learn to brush yourself down and start again. I don't see why footballers should be any different.

OK the club didn't handle his release well but running off and moaning to the press is pretty poor especially as many Cardiff fans are losing their jobs at the moment due to Covid and haven't got millions of £'s to fall back on like well paid professional footballers have.

Pretty shallow from the club yet again, but its the same treatment us fans receive in recent years from our club. We are all just pawns in the owners game!

TBH most of us have lost employment during our working careers. It is not a nice thing but it is a part of life.

You learn to brush yourself down and start again. I don't see why footballers should be any different.

OK the club didn't handle his release well but running off and moaning to the press is pretty poor especially as many Cardiff fans are losing their jobs at the moment due to Covid and haven't got millions of £'s to fall back on like well paid professional footballers have.

Says he doesn’t want to criticise or moan yet does both.

Should have been handled differently
But i guess when the owner is in Malaysia and our chairman does not know the way to leckwith stadium and our CEO is too busy running HR owen, what else could we expect

Poor, very poor

Personally I think someone like Sol Bamba and what he has been through has been treated worse than diabolical by the Board and embarrassing to the name of Cardiff City.

Personally I think someone like Sol Bamba and what he has been through has been treated worse than diabolical by the Board and embarrassing to the name of Cardiff City.

Without doubt things could have been handled better. But at the end of the day the club is bigger than any player. The Board made a proper financial decision which had the wellbeing of CCFC at it's heart and I agree with the decision.

I have seen many people lose their jobs due to ill health. There are very few employers who will pay employees a substantial salary just because they have had a serious illness. The employer will stick to the terms of the employment contract but once that has expired they won't be charitable due to sentiment.

Footballers are no different and frankly should be grateful that they have earned fabulous money to help them through periods like this. Someone on national minimum wage wouldn't have that luxury if they fell ill.

Replies FB:

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Replies FB:

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Personally I think someone like Sol Bamba and what he has been through has been treated worse than diabolical by the Board and embarrassing to the name of Cardiff City.

Without doubt things could have been handled better. But at the end of the day the club is bigger than any player. The Board made a proper financial decision which had the wellbeing of CCFC at it's heart and I agree with the decision.

I have seen many people lose their jobs due to ill health. There are very few employers who will pay employees a substantial salary just because they have had a serious illness. The employer will stick to the terms of the employment contract but once that has expired they won't be charitable due to sentiment.

Footballers are no different and frankly should be grateful that they have earned fabulous money to help them through periods like this. Someone on national minimum wage wouldn't have that luxury if they fell ill.

Tony,

It’s not about one individual player , they do this to many players and show No respect. But this is way different and you know it.

I have over 150 messages already on fb with everyone being upset by this , not one person other than Wez saying different who has called Sol virtually a liar.

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Replies FB:

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Replies FB:

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Replies FB:

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Choo, Dalman & Tan should look themselves in the mirror and grow a backbone because it's embarrassing. Similar situation with Mark Hudson in the manner he was let go.

Reply FB:

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Choo, Dalman & Tan should look themselves in the mirror and grow a backbone because it's embarrassing. Similar situation with Mark Hudson in the manner he was let go.

Jack,

They have continually done this to so many players , but this to me Sol Bamba is way way to far.

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Choo, Dalman & Tan should look themselves in the mirror and grow a backbone because it's embarrassing. Similar situation with Mark Hudson in the manner he was let go.

if you listen to the Mark Hudson podcast that was OGS....
besides Hudson was still under contract and actually could have dug his heels in an run it down...

My FB is absolutely covered in fans so upset

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Reply FB:

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Certain people love club bashing always taking an ex players side ,the fact was sol and his agent knew there wasn't a contract on offer ,it doesn't take a rocket scientist to come to a conclusion that when a contract ends you are released.

TBH most of us have lost employment during our working careers. It is not a nice thing but it is a part of life.

You learn to brush yourself down and start again. I don't see why footballers should be any different.

OK the club didn't handle his release well but running off and moaning to the press is pretty poor especially as many Cardiff fans are losing their jobs at the moment due to Covid and haven't got millions of £'s to fall back on like well paid professional footballers have.

footballers in general are not different...you dont see many articles like this yet hundreds get omitted from retained lists every year.... many who have earned very little out of the game

Right decision to let him go. But this is extremely poor from the club. It would taken a simple phone call or a chat to let him know.

Look at how he has handled it and how Joe Bennett has handled it. And Sol is supposed to be the model pro.

Nice guy. He's not stupid. He'd have known. No room for sentiment in football.

Look at how he has handled it and how Joe Bennett has handled it. And Sol is supposed to be the model pro.

Nice guy. He's not stupid. He'd have known. No room for sentiment in football.

Agree