According to reports, Marti Cifuentes is set to take on the manager role at recently relegated Leicester City.
The Catalan left his job as Queens Park Rangers head coach by mutual consent on June 24th following a period of gardening leave.
His Career So Far
Arriving in the Championship from Hammarby in Sweden, Cifuentes built his reputation in the Scandinavian leagues after managing in the Spanish lower divisions before his rise to prominence.
Despite relegation with Sandefjord after taking over midway through the campaign, the side performed well after his arrival and rebounded back to the Norwegian top-flight in his first full season. After guiding the club to their highest Eliteserien finish in over a decade, Cifuentes took the reins at Danish side Aalborg BK.
The Catalan’s time in Denmark was short, departing after just over a year in charge of ‘De bolchestribede’ in order to join Swedish side Hammarby. Cifuentes guided Hammarby to the final of the Svenska Cupen, losing out on penalties, and also helped them to a third-place league finish and UEFA Conference League qualification.
At the end of the following season, Marti Cifuentes would make the trek to West London with Queens Park Rangers. Cifuentes spent eighteen months at Loftus Road and helped QPR survive relegation on two occasions.
Cifuentes’ Qualities
A devout follower of Cruyffian philosophy, Cifuentes believes in attacking, possession-based football. Preferring to set his sides up in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, Cifuentes’ sides depend on rotation from the midfielders and full backs, who invert to create overloads in the centre of the pitch to pass through the opposition press.
The wide players are asked to hug the touchlines to create more space. This, alongside a physical striker aiming to push the opposing centre halves deeper, should allow for the 10 and progressive 8 to have more pockets and time in which to operate effectively.
The goalkeeper is often used to provide another passing option in deep build up. Achieving overloads on one side is key for any Cifuentes team, before switching the ball quickly to the other side, again to create space for the creative players.
A high press is highly valued by Marti Cifuentes. QPR’s 3-0 victory over Norwich in December 2024 highlights the effectiveness of the Cruyff inspired pressing system. However, the same match also illustrates the most important part of Cifuentes’ coaching style. He’s willing to abandon most of his principles entirely if his team does not have the ball playing capability, to get the most out of the squad at his disposal.
The coach was forced into abandoning what made him successful in Scandinavia in order to keep his QPR side in the division. Queens Park Rangers ranked just 17th in average possession in the league last season, according to Fotmob. This is a distant cry from what Cifuentes’ ethos seems to dictate.
The Correct Appointment for Leicester City?
Many of Leicester’s squad played in a similar system to what Cifuentes is likely to play, having won the Championship under fellow Cruyff and Guardiola disciple Enzo Maresca. This should, in theory, mean that the transition will be relatively smooth.
Marti Cifuentes embedded himself into the hearts of QPR fans during his time at the club, even through torrid spells and disapproval towards the Rangers owners. This charisma could help bind Leicester together during a similar time of turmoil, where distaste for the club’s current owners is at an all-time high.
It is no secret that the Foxes face serious financial difficulty and are facing a possible points deduction. Cifuentes, however, is no stranger to operating under monetary constraints. His previous side have the lowest transfer expenditure of any club in the Championship since the 2023/24 season, according to transfermarkt
Even so, there are some serious question marks surrounding Leicester’s potential new man. His time in the Championship has been blighted by inconsistency and long winless runs, which could sent alarm bells ringing around the King Power. Furthermore, Leicester’s financial crisis means that they are unlikely to buy Cifuentes out of his agreement with QPR, as they retain rights to compensation despite the mutual parting of ways. Leicester’s season could very well be defined by their inability to sign players, including a striker to replace club icon Jamie Vardy.
The primary concern for Leicester should be his track record, which can come across as disloyalty. Cifuentes has never spent more than three seasons at a club and has fallen out with senior executives of his clubs on multiple occasions, including at Hammarby and QPR.
A Cifuentes reign has the tendency to end on poor terms, and he appears to dislike working under owners and executives whom he may deem as overly controlling. This pattern could very well continue at Leicester, a club regarded as having particularly hands-on owners. His ambition also results in quickly growing frustration, should he not believe the project is progressing quickly enough. Marti Cifuentes is certainly a gamble for any Championship club aiming to compete at the top.
Written by Amar Topan (@W12Amar on X)
