Cardiff replace Head Scout with owner's son's friend

Iwan Roberts has said he is "gobsmacked" by Cardiff City's decision to replace their head of recruitment with an unknown 23-year-old Kazakh.

The club has suspended Iain Moody and brought in Alisher Apsalyamov as his acting replacement.

BBC Wales pundit Roberts is a former team-mate of Cardiff manager Malky Mackay.

"I think Malky will be shocked, stunned, angry that this has happened behind his back it seems," he said.


Apsalyamov is not believed to have any previous experience in football and Roberts is worried by the latest development in the controversial reign of owner Vincent Tan.

Tan caused consternation among many Cardiff fans during the summer of 2012 after changing the club's colours from blue to red.

"This young man from Kazakhstan, he's 23 years of age and I've read somewhere he's a close friend of Tan's son," Roberts added.

In the summer Alisher Apsalyamov was on work experience painting the walls of Cardiff City Stadium, watching their promotion games on his laptop.

lenear1030 wrote:Watch him be good though. He's probably scouting players from laptop streams too. His FM skills are probably on point too.

The Franchise wrote:Does it matter, if he is qualified for the job?

Obviously, he is getting the chance because of his connection, but if he has the ability then surely thats all that matters?