**Ken Choo Implements Forward-Thinking Changes – Just Not at Cardiff City**
Questions are being raised amongst Cardiff City supporters after Ken Choo, the club’s CEO, orchestrated a notable shake-up at another of Vincent Tan’s football interests, Belgian side KV Kortrijk, while the Bluebirds continue to grapple with an arguably outdated leadership model. Choo, who splits responsibilities between Cardiff and Kortrijk, has introduced a new sporting director and operational director in Belgium, openly declaring his intent for a more informed and cohesive football operation.
However, the move has left Cardiff fans wondering why such decisive and modern steps toward building a sustainable football structure have not materialised at their own club in the Welsh capital. Choo’s actions in Belgium have rekindled demands for a fresh approach at Cardiff, particularly surrounding senior football appointments and the need for a stable overarching club philosophy.
It is perhaps telling that while Choo pushes for progress at Kortrijk with the blessing of club owner Vincent Tan, replicating such restructuring at Cardiff seems far less straightforward. Tan, whose presence in Cardiff is remote, appears less inclined to grant similar autonomy, despite recent on-field and off-field challenges facing the Bluebirds. Sport observers note this divergence as further evidence that top-level appointments, though important, are just part of the complex formula for a club’s success.
Importantly, it should be remembered that even with a sporting director and CEO of sports in place last season, KV Kortrijk suffered relegation from the Belgian Jupiler Pro League. This outcome serves as a cautionary tale that strong backroom appointments, while positive, do not ensure immediate results. Nevertheless, Choo and his colleagues in Belgium have responded swiftly, reorganising the club’s upper management well ahead of a crucial summer, as they seek to bounce back to the top division.
Meanwhile, Cardiff City, which faces its own transitional period, is seen lagging with a less robust footballing structure at the top. Mehmet Dalman, the club’s non-executive chairman, and majority owner Tan, who remains at a distance, currently preside over a set-up that, according to many supporters and analysts, lacks the strategic football knowledge and leadership so clearly being prioritised at Kortrijk. Choo, for his part, has alluded to these very shortcomings in recent commentary about the improvements made in Belgium.
Recently, Kortrijk announced the return of Jelle Schelstraete as operational director of football and the appointment of Nils Vanneste as sporting director. Schelstraete, who has an impressive CV including roles with the Belgian FA and as former head of Kortrijk’s academy, is tasked with overhauling the club’s operational set-up. Vanneste, an experienced coach and director, will map out the club’s sporting vision for upcoming campaigns. The appointments are being billed as a ‘best of both worlds’ model, combining deep football expertise with strategic clarity.
Choo explained that the aim is to press ahead with a clear, consistent football philosophy, avoiding the costly cycle of chopping and changing managers and playing staff. He underscored the importance of defining the club’s long-term approach, so that everyone from management down to the players understands the direction, ultimately stabilising the club after a period of uncertainty. This approach, he says, has been missing but is now forming the basis of ongoing discussions.
Interestingly, Cardiff City has recently formed a sub-committee to shortlist managerial candidates, featuring head of academy Gavin Chesterfield, external specialist Mark Allen—who boasts experience at Swansea and Rangers—and a representative from the agency Wasserman. Many fans view this move as a positive first step, but argue for a permanent leadership role to provide ongoing football direction, rather than relying on ad-hoc decision-making.
At present, Cardiff’s leadership seems content to view these developments as temporary. Yet, should the sub-committee’s work in selecting a new manager prove fruitful, it could spark a shift in owner Vincent Tan’s thinking about the club’s longer-term needs. For now, however, Cardiff City supporters must watch as the progressive changes they crave are delivered elsewhere—ironically by their own CEO, in Belgium—while their club continues its search for a winning modern formula.
This situation is a vivid example of football’s shifting landscape, where off-the-pitch decisions can shape fortunes as surely as those made on match day. Whether Cardiff follows Kortrijk’s lead remains to be seen, but the debate over modernisation at the Welsh club is unlikely to disappear any time soon.