Omer Riza On Arsenal, West Ham, Turkey, And More

Ben McFadyean

44 minutes ago

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 28: Omer Riza, Manager of Cardiff City, applauds the fans following the Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round match between Aston Villa and Cardiff City at Villa Park on February 28, 2025 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

An interview with Ömer Riza, by Ben McFadyean.

A product of the Arsenal academy, the former centre-forward Ömer Riza made 204 professional appearances, scoring 70 goals. The two-time Turkey U23 international played for West Ham United for three seasons before moving to the Eredivisie and ADO Den Haag. Two seasons in the Super Lig with 7-time champions Trabzonspor were the highlight of a five-season spell in Turkey, followed by further spells with Cambridge United, Shrewsbury Town, Barnet, and later Chelmsford City, during his active career.

After gaining the UEFA Pro Licence, Riza was appointed Assistant Manager of League 2 club Leyton Orient in 2016-17, under Andy Edwards, and then Daniel Webb, before being promoted to Manager.

The forty-six-year-old then joined Watford, initially as U23 manager, later promoted to Assistant to First Team Manager Valerien Ismael, with the club finishing 15th in the Championship.

The London-born Coach then had two seasons as Assistant manager to Tom Curtis with the England U-17 national team, where the side reached the last 16 of the 2023 FIFA World Cup in Indonesia, and the quarter-finals of the 2023 UEFA European Championship in Hungary.

Riza then joined as Assistant Manager at second-tier side Cardiff City under Erol Bulut, before taking over the reins as Manager in season 24/25.

The interview took place at the Radisson Hotel, just outside Berlin, in January 2026.

You started off your career playing with Arsenal, and with an array of players among the top in the game. Which players or coaches have influenced your career the most?

“I’ve been fortunate enough to come up through the Arsenal academy with some of the best, players like Dennis Bergkamp, Ian Wright, Paul Merson, Tony Adams, Dave Seaman, and Patrick Vieira, and I am really grateful to have been coached also by Arsene Wenger, it was a privilege having the chance to be part of the world class academy for the first 5 years of my career, I learnt so much from that experience.”

In 1999, you moved to the East End of London to West Ham United, where you played for three seasons, under a manager who has become something of a West Ham institution, Harry Redknapp. The club goes on to have one of the best seasons in their Premier League history, thus far qualifying for the UEFA Cup. What are your recollections of your time at Upton Park?

“At West Ham, I joined up with players like Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Jermaine Defoe, Michael Carrick, Trevor Sinclair, and David James, all English internationals at the time, and Paolo Di Canio to boot. It was tough going, but I wouldn’t miss that time, although I did have to deal with injuries that held me back, a great club I’m proud to look back on, in spite of the challenges of breaking into a highly successful side.”

You were called up by Turkey at the U23 level and made your debut in a friendly, which ended in an impressive 1:1 against Germany, ahead of their home World Cup in 2006, a team that included greats like Roman Weidenfeller, Florian Kringe, Mario Gomez, and Simon Rolfes. Is that a highlight for you?

“I’d been called up a couple of times to national team training camps, and I was really ready to play for the national team when the call-up came. The game was in Ankara, it was a tough one, Germany were a strong side, but we also had some good players in the team at the time, players like Hakan Sukur, Hamid Altintop or Volkan Demirel. The German style of play was impressive; they were strong, powerful, well-disciplined, and had a very good structure, hard to break down. Basically, all the things we know about German football, there was more in it than a draw, but for sure, the debut is a special memory.”

You played in the Super Lig in Turkey for 5 seasons. Was it a big adjustment from the English game?

“I played in Turkey, with both Denizlispor and Trabzonspor, and against some of the biggest clubs in Turkey, in some of the best grounds, and against some great players, and that era undoubtedly made a big impact on my career. The quality of football in Turkey is good. When I moved out there, there were players like Nicolas Anelka, but there were also players in Turkey who lacked professionalism and especially discipline. Now it is on a different level with impressive facilities and big names like Victor Osimhen, Ilkay Gundogan, or Mauro Icardi, technically superb players. It was an adjustment, but it would be for any player.”

You were assistant manager for the England U17s, working with Justin Cochran. What did you gain from your time with The FA?

“Yes, I worked with Justin and Tom Curtis, and we developed very good working relationships with the players and the results showed on the pitch. The quality of the players England has seen over the last ten years has been superb. A lot of work is done within the clubs to nurture the talent and give them the confidence to make them feel like they can mix in with the top elite internationals of other countries. The mental game is very important at the top level.

“Working in the setup with Gareth Southgate at the helm at St George’s Park was exemplary. We were able to feed on the work he was doing with the first team. One aspect that has improved in the England set-up is, for example, competitor analysis, which is essential for the modern game, especially with the data tools available. When you’re England’s assistant manager, even for the under-17s, you spend a lot of time analysing the opponents to prepare the players. Since England won the U17 World Cup in 2017, they have put in a huge amount of work in that respect, and I think they are ready to take the next step.”

Are you impressed with what Thomas Tuchel has achieved as England manager so far?

“England had done exceptionally well in terms of reaching the semifinals of the World Cup in 2018, then the finals final of two European Championships in a row, but we hadn’t been able to win a World Cup, apart from the U20s, and U17s, but we’ve won the women’s European title two titles back-to-back, it’s been a long time but Thomas is a top Manager and for me it is a very good decision by The FA to appoint him.”

Can the Three Lions bring home the World Cup this summer?

“Thomas has changed the England setup, first and foremost he’s a superb coach, he’s achieved a lot at all the clubs he’s been at, he brings a unique kind of aura with him, he’s disciplined and knows what he wants, but I don’t think he suffers fools either, we’ve seen that with what happened with Jude Bellingham. Even with a player of that quality, he is not afraid to bench him if need be. Thomas has such a big choice of players right now that he can pick from that he knows he can get what he needs to get the side to perform and to win competitions, that’s the difference. Maybe also to a certain extent, maybe his mentality will help us to achieve something that we have missed for decades. England is producing really good football and results, but what everyone wants is for it to win tournaments, and it may take someone like him to do that.”

In other top leagues like France, Denmark, and Germany, they have winter breaks. Players in England are increasingly raising concerns about having to play too many games, and the results prove them right. Do you think it would help to introduce a mid-season break in England?

“I think it takes its toll playing as many games as we do in England at the top level. When you take a rest mid-season, as they do in Turkey, you come back rejuvenated and go on to the second part of the season renewed, which is an advantage. There are a lot of competitions and games to play for elite players, and it could prove beneficial, especially in light of the higher temperatures we have had, especially in the summer, to have a break mid-season. I also welcome the drinking breaks that have been implemented for players.”

As a coach, you have worked with clubs including Watford, Cardiff, and Leyton Orient. Is there a player you are proud of that you have coached?

“When I was at Cardiff I brought in Will Alves from Leicester City who I had with me with the England set-up and he has done very well and is now with Huddersfield Town, he has gone on to represent England at U20 level and I feel he has it in him to progress further, it’s lovely to be able to turn on the TV and see players I’ve helped who are now in a good place.”

You managed Cardiff City last season; they are in a two-horse race with Lincoln City at the top of the League right now. What do you feel you achieved at the club, and will they win promotion?

“Alongside getting results, our aim was to lay the foundations for future growth, and that has been achieved, in particular we created the opportunity for young players to gain experience and push for higher things. Joel Colwill in particular, was one who made great progress. We managed to implement a style that suited many of the players. The club is on a good path to promotion to the second tier. I hope they will return to the Championship at the end of the season.”

The Super Lig in Turkey has been hit by a major betting scandal this season. What is your view on the situation?

“It was very competitive, and there were issues with players not being paid; it needed to get better for the sake of the Turkish players. Now players from the Super Lig are able to play in any of Europe’s top leagues, which is a positive development. Regarding the scandal of betting, when I was out there for six years, I never came across anything like that. It’s good that the current federation president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu, is stamping down on the betting scandals and banning players and those involved. It has to be stopped at the source, also when it involves referees, which is a priority.”

In the Champions League last 16, Liverpool travelled to Ram Park against Galatasaray on Tuesday and went down 1-0. Can they still progress?

“The ‘Gala atmosphere’ is amazing; they’re very passionate about the game, but for the opponents, it can be a very hostile environment. I had the pleasure of playing at all the stadiums in the top tier, including Fenerbahce in the semi-final of the Cup. When you have 70,000 fans whistling their disapproval, you cannot even hear your teammate who’s just a metre away from you; it’s pretty intimidating. Liverpool will need to really focus to turn the result over at Anfield.”

A common concern these days is that with all the tournaments, there is too much football on TV nowadays, and many say we’re at risk of ‘dumbing down’ the anticipation of big games is not so big as a result. Do you agree that there are too many tournaments?

“There are a lot of games on show; it is big business, bigger than ever. People earn a lot from it, but yes, players are being overloaded; they’re being paid very well, but at the same time, it doesn’t mean that you can dismiss their well-being. I think it will get to a point when teams will effectively need two A teams. A squad of 40 players, like Liverpool had a couple of years ago when they played a B-team in the FA Cup. I can’t see it going any other way because players will burn out, and as you say, end up protesting about the risk of injury. As a player, you want to play; that’s the biggest thing, but you need time to recover, too, and they cannot do that if they have to play too many games.”

In Germany, the under-23 teams of the top sides play in the third and fourth divisions, in Spain up to the second tier. Would it make sense for English teams to follow suit?

“In England, the younger players play in the next generation leagues like Premier League 2, but play only against their own age groups. Players who are not yet ready for the first team need to be loaned out to clubs in lower divisions; that’s what is needed in order for the younger players to accelerate their learning. When I was at Watford, I was coaching the U21s, and the priority was always to have them play week in week out. In theory, yes, it would be a good idea to play in a League One or League Two side and gain more experience.”

I have to ask, will Arsenal win the title this season?

“I think they can probably take advantage of the weaknesses that City are showing, hopefully that is the case. This season, they’ve got a very strong squad. They’ve built an outstanding core defence that is very hard to break down with players like William Saliba, Christian Mosquera, and Jurrien Timber. It’s been exciting seeing the rise of the team; I hope they can.”

Finally, you progressed from assistant to manager at Cardiff City last season, but were replaced by Aaron Ramsey in April. What is next?

“I am UEFA Pro licence qualified and have worked with great clubs as a player and a coach, including Watford and Leyton Orient. I am currently open to head coaching positions, including overseas. The club should have solid foundations and a vision. Let’s see what opens up.”