Cardiff City chairman Mehmet Dalman speaks about his future

Cardiff City chairman Mehmet Dalman speaks about his future as Charlton takeover bid takes fresh twist

Dalmans bud for Charlton has at the moment stalled, the amount is around about £33 million.


Bluebirds chief Dalman insists he is fully committed to Cardiff City promotion charge this season

Thursday 13th June 2019


Cardiff City chairman Mehmet Dalman says he is committed to the Bluebirds for now.


Bluebirds chief Dalman insists he is fully committed to Cardiff City promotion charge this season

Cardiff City chairman Mehmet Dalman has addressed speculation about his future and insisted he is 100 per cent focused upon trying to deliver promotion to the Premier League for Neil Warnock's Bluebirds this season.

The Bluebirds chief has been involved in advanced talks with Charlton about a £33million buyout of the south London club, but the takeover bid appears to have stalled.

This is how we reported the shock news on Wednesday

Dalman has never said anything about the Charlton link and doesn't intend to. He regards the talk as speculation.

But in a message to Cardiff fans, he told WalesOnline on Thursday morning he is committed to the Bluebirds and intent on helping manager Warnock bring in the new players required this summer for a promotion push.

Warnock, who describes Dalman as 'the best chairman I have worked with in football', is understood to have been concerned enough about the Charlton stories to ring his boss for clarification.

It was only a few weeks ago that Dalman helped persuade Warnock to stay with Cardiff, amid intense speculation about his own future as manager following relegation to the Championship.

Dalman confirmed: "Right at this moment in time I'm really focused on preparing for the new season with Cardiff. I don't want to let Neil down. We have a job to do here at Cardiff and we intend to give it a right old go for promotion."

He also says the working rapport with owner Vincent Tan and chief executive Ken Choo has helped stabilise the Bluebirds and Dalman doesn't want unwelcome speculation affecting the plans for 2019-20 campaign.

"For the first time we have a really good senior management team in terms of running this club, certainly the best I have known in my six years as chairman," said Dalman.

"Vincent, Ken, Neil and myself are on the same wavelength and pull in the same direction.


"The four of us work well. I don't want to rock the boat at the moment.

"Provided Vincent, Ken, Neil and myself are united, which we are, then I'm there with Cardiff. I'm not going to get distracted by this talk or anything else. I expect to be here for the season.

"We're in the process of bringing two or three players on board by July and others should follow. Our intention is to keep every one of our best players, build on that.

"I want to give Neil and the club every chance of winning promotion again."


Only Dalman and Charlton's Belgian owner Roland Duchatelet are privvy to the takeover details and how close the move has been, or why it has stalled.

However, although he doesn't particularly do emotion, Dalman has developed a special attachment during his six-year spell with Cardiff and that has a bearing on his decision.

Cardiff fans have expressed real concerns about him leaving and he tells a brilliant story of what happened as he flew back from his London base to his home on Monaco on Wednesday night after the stories had emerged.

"I was at Heathrow, walking past an open bar area, when I thought I saw a middle-aged guy and his wife smiling at me. I wasn't sure, but then it became apparent they were," says Dalman.

"The bloke said 'You're the chairman of Cardiff City, aren't you? I hope you're not going to go.

"Cardiff fans are everywhere, it appears!

"But look, when you see and hear that sort of thing first hand it obviously means something to you, has an effect.

"I've been through ups and downs with Cardiff, handled some dreadful incidents for the club, and almost for the first time we are talking about the football again.

"It's important that continues, rather than people talking about me and my future."


Dalman has been at the helm as Cardiff have reconnected with their fan base. He helped persuade Tan revert the colours back to blue, has overseen two Premier League campaigns, brought Warnock on board as manager and is sensitively handling the Emiliano Sala tragedy.

There is speculation in other media outlets that Dalman has provided newly-promoted Charlton with proof he has the funds for a takeover, but owner Duchatelet is reported to want the final fee paid in full. That is said to be a stumbling block.

Whatever, Bluebirds chief executive Ken Choo insists Dalman is going nowhere.

"Mehmet is not going there. I can tell you that 100 per cent. He is 100 per cent committed to Cardiff City," said Choo.

"We will keep the balance of our senior group. We have a winning formula for the club and a lot of hard work is going on behind the scenes to get us promoted.

"We are giving our best endeavours to get Cardiff City back up into the Premier League. Mehmet loves Cardiff City as a club and has unfinished business here.

"The whole senior management team is committed to Cardiff. We're doing a lot behind the scenes on transfers, working on plans. Mehmet is part of that."

That's good enough for me. At least he had the balls to answer press concerns over his future at our Club.

Whatever fans think of Tan's past mistakes I believe that the senior management team, of four, has never been more solid and is vital if we are to go straight back up.

Absolutely fantastic news.

Absolutely fantastic news.

Good although it wouldn't have been the end of the World, I'm glad brings more stability in an important season, and Warnock will be happy as they get on very well

Excellent news, nice to read Dalman day that the four of them are united for City

Im still not convinced he'll be at the club by july tbh. The fact he said "Right at this moment in time I'm really focused on preparing for the new season with Cardiff" makes me wonder if he's still hoping to take over Charlton but their owner (who's a lunatic by all accounts) is moving the goal posts. I hope he stays I really do but im not totally convinced this is all over yet.

hope he stays but for the life of me can not see anything in there that confirms he will..
there is no denial from him re Charlton offers.
and right now does mean right now..

So you are totally disregarding the statement by Ken Choo - in effect calling him a liar. Time will tell.

So you are totally disregarding the statement by Ken Choo - in effect calling him a liar. Time will tell.

ken choo is not Mehmet Dalman.

yes of course time will tell but simply saying the stories are false would have done the trick far better than talking around it...
and no..in effect i didnt call anyone a liar for giving their opinion and wont be calling him one if Dalman does end up going..although no doubt there will be some prize guys queueing up to .

I think Dalman has come out with a diplomatic statement of sorts. By saying "at this moment in time" & "at the moment" he has been careful not to come out with an absolute denial of things happening in the near future. He is currently employed by Cardiff, and would not want to rock the boat, particularly if nothing comes of the Charlton link. Probably said exactly what most people in his position would say if linked with another job while still in current employment. Would'nt be surprised one way or the other myself. Feels like he has been doing a good job here, but I expect the time will come when he feels like a new challenge.

Ive never known this man to lie, and so I accept his word, especially since he didn't have to say anything, so why would he risk being found later to have been duplicitous on the issue.

Perhaps more imporantly he's clarified a few other things which the clubs press people should have done. It's all very encouraging, and it's not the first time Mr Dalman has had to take responsibility for informing the supporters about what's going on.

Well done to Pembroke Alan for tracking him down to Heathrow by the way.

Ive never known this man to lie, and so I accept his word, especially since he didn't have to say anything, so why would he risk being found later to have been duplicitous on the issue.

Perhaps more imporantly he's clarified a few other things which the clubs press people should have done. It's all very encouraging, and it's not the first time Mr Dalman has had to take responsibility for informing the supporters about what's going on.

Well done to Pembroke Alan for tracking him down to Heathrow by the way.

Time will tell I guess...

Just a quick question, what is "Molpay International" company number 10635423, and why is it registered to Cardiff City?

It's been said in the past by some on here that Dalman should have been a politician, and that much is true.

I wouldn't take his words as gospel.

Think he is a very good public speaker.
Can be read either way - the "at this moment in time" means at the time of interview arguably.

Still, he made a public statement which was good of him regardless. And thank goodness for the guy at Heathrow who spoke up - might just have done enough