The 2019–20 season was Cardiff City's 121st season in their existence and their first back in the EFL Championship. Cardiff were relegated to the second tier of English football after finishing 18th in the 2018–19 Premier League. Along with competing in the EFL Championship, the club also participated in the FA Cup and EFL Cup. The season covered the period from 1 July 2019 to 30 July 2020.
On 11 November 2019, Neil Warnock resigned as manager, Cardiff were 14th in the league, he was later replaced by Neil Harris on 16 November.
Due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak, all English football leagues were postponed until 30 April. The season restarted on 20 June 2020.
First-team squad
No. Name Pos. Nat. Place of Birth Age Caps Goals Signed from Date signed Fee Ends Goalkeepers1 Neil EtheridgeGKLondon1020Walsall1 July 2017Free202112Alex SmithiesGKHuddersfield370Queens Park Rangers1 July 2018£4,000,000202225Joe DayGKBrighton20Newport County1 July 2019Free2021 Defenders2 Dion SandersonRBWednesfield100Wolverhampton Wanderers31 January 2020Loan20203 Joe BennettLBRochdale1484Aston Villa27 August 2016Free20214 Sean MorrisonCBPlymouth23525Reading15 August 2014£3,180,00020225 Aden FlintCBPinxton304Middlesbrough19 July 2019£4,000,000202216Curtis NelsonCBNewcastle-under-Lyme362Oxford United1 July 2019Free202118Greg CunninghamLBGalway80Preston North End1 July 2018£4,000,000202122Sol BambaCB Ivry-sur-Seine11010Free agent11 October 2016Free202124Brad SmithLBPenrith30AFC Bournemouth30 January 2020Loan202030Ciaron BrownCBHillingdon10Wealdstone January 2018Trainee2020 Midfielders 6Will VaulksDMWirral344Rotherham United1 July 2019£2,100,00020227 Leandro BacunaCM/RBGroningen561Reading31 January 2019£4,000,0002023 8Joe RallsCM/LMAldershot23925Academy30 September 2011Trainee202211Josh MurphyLWWembley6311Norwich City12 June 2018 £11,000,000 202213Callum PatersonCM/RB/CFLondon10621Heart of Midlothian1 July 2017£400,000202215Marlon PackCMPortsmouth422Bristol City8 August 2019Undisclosed202219Nathaniel Mendez-LaingRW/LWBirmingham9114Rochdale1 July 2017Free202120Gavin WhyteRWBelfast301Oxford United30 July 2019£2,000,000202331Aaron BolgerCMDublin00Shamrock Rovers2 July 2019Undisclosed202033Junior HoilettLW/RWBrampton16023Free agent10 October 2016Free2021 Forwards9 Robert GlatzelCFFürstenfeldbruck3581. FC Heidenheim31 July 2019£5,500,000202210Isaac VassellCFNewquay31Birmingham City8 August 2019Undisclosed202217Lee TomlinSS/WGLeicester5210Bristol City13 July 2017Undisclosed202223Danny WardCF/LWBradford6913Rotherham United1 July 2017£1,600,0002020 Mark HarrisLW/CFSwansea20Academy8 January 2017Trainee2020 Out on loan
Appearances and goals for the club and contracts are up to date as of 31 July 2020.
Statistics
!colspan=14|Players who left the club:
Goals record
Rank No. Nat. Po. Name Championship FA Cup League Cup Play-Offs Total117SSLee Tomlin 8001929 CFRobert Glatzel 7100811LWJosh Murphy 5300823CFDanny Ward 7100848 CMJoe Ralls 7000713CMCallum Paterson 5200733LWJunior Hoilett 7000794 CBSean Morrison 400045 CBAden Flint 220046 CMWill Vaulks 400041219RWNathaniel Mendez-Laing 300031315CMMarlon Pack 2000216CBCurtis Nelson 10012157 CMLeandro Bacuna 1000110CFIsaac Vassell 1000120RWGavin Whyte 0100127CFOmar Bogle 10001Own Goals 30003Total 66100278
Disciplinary record
Rank No. Nat. Po. Name Championship FA Cup League Cup Play-Offs Total 117SSLee Tomlin 80000000000080026 DMWill Vaulks 3002001001007007 CMLeandro Bacuna 50000000020070033LWJunior Hoilett 60000000010070054 CBSean Morrison 4010000001005018 CMJoe Ralls 50000000010060011LWJosh Murphy 40020000000060083 LBJoe Bennett 50000000000050021RBJazz Richards 4001000000005001015CMMarlon Pack 400000000000400102 RBLee Peltier 30000000000030016CBCurtis Nelson 300000000000300122 RBDion Sanderson 2000000000002005 CBAden Flint 20000000000020013CMCallum Paterson 20000000000020014RWAlbert Adomah 20000000000020020RWGavin Whyte 10010000000020024CFGary Madine 200000000000200199 CFRobert Glatzel 10000000000010012GKAlex Smithies 10000000000010014CFBobby Decordova-Reid 10000000000010023CFDanny Ward 00100000000000127CFOmar Bogle 100000000000100Total 69026001006008202
Contracts Date Position Nationality Name Status Contract Length Expiry Date Ref.13 December 2019 CB Sol Bamba Signed 1 year June 2021 10 January 2020 SS Lee Tomlin Signed 2 years June 2022 25 June 2020 CF Danny Ward Signed 2 Months August 2020
Transfers
Transfers in Date Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. 1 July 2019 GK Joe Day Newport County Free transfer 1 July 2019 CB Curtis Nelson Oxford United Free transfer 1 July 2019 DM Will Vaulks Rotherham United Undisclosed 2 July 2019 CM Aaron Bolger Shamrock Rovers Undisclosed 19 July 2019 CB Aden Flint Middlesbrough Undisclosed 30 July 2019 RW Gavin Whyte Oxford United Undisclosed 31 July 2019 CF Robert Glatzel FC Heidenheim Undisclosed 8 August 2019 CM Marlon Pack Bristol City Undisclosed 8 August 2019 CF Isaac Vassell Birmingham City Undisclosed 27 August 2019 GK Brian Murphy Free Agent Free 7 November 2019 LB Armand Traoré Çaykur Rizespor Free Spent - Undisclosed (~ £17,600,000)
Loans in Date from Position Nationality Name From Date until Ref. 30 January 2020 LB Brad Smith Bournemouth 30 June 2020 31 January 2020 LW Albert Adomah Nottingham Forest 30 June 2020 31 January 2020 RB Dion Sanderson Wolverhampton Wanderers 30 June 2020
Loans out Date from Position Nationality Name To Date until Ref. 1 July 2019 LW Mark Harris Wrexham 30 June 2020 24 July 2019 RB Connor Davies Weston-super-Mare 30 June 2020 8 August 2019 LB Greg Cunningham Blackburn Rovers 30 June 2020 8 August 2019 CF Bobby Reid Fulham 24 January 2020 16 August 2019 LB Daniel Martin Weston-super-Mare February 2020 13 September 2019 CB Jack Bodenham Hereford 1 January 2020 8 January 2019 CB Ciaron Brown Livingston 30 June 2020 28 January 2020 GK Joe Day AFC Wimbledon 30 June 2020 31 January 2020 CF Omar Bogle ADO Den Haag 11 May 2020 14 February 2020 LB Joel Bagan Notts County March 2020
Transfers out Date Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. 1 July 2019 GK Jordan Duffey Free agent Released 1 July 2019 MF Tyrone Duffus Warrington Town Released 1 July 2019 CM Aron Gunnarsson Al-Arabi Free transfer 1 July 2019 RM Kadeem Harris Sheffield Wednesday Released 1 July 2019 CF Jack McKay Chesterfield Free transfer 1 July 2019 GK Brian Murphy Free Agent Free 1 July 2019 CM Stuart O'Keefe Gillingham Released 1 July 2019 CB Adam Sharif Free agent Released 1 July 2019 AM Henry Smith Free agent Released 16 July 2019 CF Rhys Healey Milton Keynes Dons Undisclosed 19 July 2019 CB Bruno Ecuele Manga Dijon Undisclosed 19 July 2019 CF Kenneth Zohore West Bromwich Albion Undisclosed 9 August 2019 CM Loïc Damour Heart of Midlothian Undisclosed 7 January 2020 LB Armand Traoré Free agent Released 9 January 2020 CF Gary Madine Blackpool Mutual consent 24 January 2020 AM Bobby Decordova-Reid Fulham Undisclosed 31 January 2020 RB Lee Peltier West Bromwich Albion Free Transfer 12 February 2020 GK Brian Murphy Waterford Free Transfer 30 June 2020 CF Omar Bogle Free Agent Released 30 June 2020 GK Warren Burwood Free Agent Released 30 June 2020 CB Matthew Connolly Free Agent Released 30 June 2020 RB Cameron Coxe Free Agent Released 30 June 2020 RB Connor Davies Free Agent Released 30 June 2020 CM Jacob Evans Free Agent Released 30 June 2020 LM Lloyd Humphries Free Agent Released 30 June 2020 CB Trystan Jones Free Agent Released 30 June 2020 CF Shamar Moore Free Agent Released 30 June 2020 CB Ryan Pryce Free Agent Released 30 June 2020 RB Jazz Richards Free Agent Released 30 June 2020 CM Sion Spence Free Agent Released 30 June 2020 CM Laurence Wootton Free Agent Released Income : Undisclosed (~ £11,000,000)
Pre-season The Bluebirds announced pre-season fixtures against Taff's Well, San Antonio, New Mexico United, Real Valladolid and OGC Nice.
Competitions
Championship
League table
Results summary
Results by matchday
Matches On Thursday, 20 June 2019, the EFL Championship fixtures were revealed.
Play-Offs
FA Cup
The second round draw was made live on BBC Two from Etihad Stadium, Micah Richards and Tony Adams conducted the draw.
EFL Cup
The second round draw was made on 13 August 2019 following the conclusion of all but one first-round matches.
Summary Games played 53 (46 EFL Championship, 4 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 2 Play-Offs)Games won 21 (19 EFL Championship, 1 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 1 Play-Offs)Games drawn 19 (16 EFL Championship, 3 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 0 Play-Offs)Games lost 13 (11 EFL Championship, 0 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 1 Play-Offs)Goals scored 78 (66 EFL Championship, 10 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 2 Play-Offs)Goals conceded 73 (58 EFL Championship, 9 FA Cup, 3 League Cup, 3 Play-Offs)Goal difference +5Clean sheets 14 (14 EFL Championship, 0 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 0 Play-Offs)Yellow cards 82 (69 EFL Championship, 6 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 6 Play-Offs)Red cards 2 (2 EFL Championship, 0 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 0 Play-Offs)Worst Discipline Lee Tomlin (8 , 0 , 0 )Best result 3–0 vs. Queens Park Rangers (2 Oct 19)3–0 vs. Huddersfield Town (12 Feb 20)3–0 vs. Hull City (22 Jul 20)Worst result 1–6 vs. Queens Park Rangers (1 Jan 20)Most appearances Joe Bennett (46 starts, 2 subs)Top scorer Lee Tomlin (9)Most Clean Sheets Alex Smithies (11)Points 73
Club staff
Backroom staff PositionNameManager Neil HarrisAssistant manager David LivermoreFirst-team coach James RowberryGoalkeeper coach Andy DibbleHead 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) Derek Chee Seng Chin (since 2010) Veh Ken Choo (since 2016) Mehmet Dalman (since 2012)Non-ExecutiveBoard MembersCardiff City (Holdings) Danni Rais (since 2012)Club Secretary David Beeby
References