Leicester City have appointed Marti Cifuentes as their new manager on a contract lasting three seasons. The 43-year-old Spaniard takes over from Ruud van Nistelrooy, who departs less than a month before the start of the upcoming campaign.
Cifuentes inherits a team that returned to the Championship after just one season in the Premier League, having secured promotion under Enzo Maresca in 2024. Maresca later left to join Chelsea, and the East Midlands club has now had six full-time coaches in a little over two years.
Like his Italian predecessor, Cifuentes is expected to push for a return to the top flight. Leicester will pay an undisclosed fee to Queens Park Rangers as compensation for acquiring him.
A coach with a progressive style and varied background
Cifuentes was most recently in charge of QPR, guiding them to finishes of 18th and 15th in the Championship. He took the reins at Loftus Road in October 2023 when the club was second from bottom, managing to steer them away from relegation.
His time at the west London club came to an end in April following a 5-0 loss to Burnley, after which he was placed on gardening leave. He officially left QPR in June. Despite inconsistent results, he remained well-regarded by the fanbase and was being linked with other roles before his departure.
Leicester believe that Cifuentes brings a “modern, progressive footballing philosophy” and chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha described him as “an excellent fit” for their vision. The club sees his appointment as aligning with a return to the high-pressing, possession-oriented approach previously used by Maresca.
Cifuentes called his new role “a great honour,” expressing pride in being chosen to contribute to the next phase in Leicester’s story.
Challenges ahead at King Power Stadium
Cifuentes arrives with only a few weeks to prepare before the new season begins. He faces the task of familiarising himself with a squad that has not yet been reshaped following relegation.
Veteran striker Jamie Vardy left the club at the end of last season and has yet to be replaced. Uncertainty also surrounds Leicester’s transfer activity due to their ongoing financial situation.
The club has been charged with breaching the English Football League’s financial rules during their promotion-winning campaign in 2024. As a result, a potential points deduction could affect the upcoming season.
Despite the complications, Leicester were drawn to Cifuentes’ leadership in complex environments and his strong reputation for working with youth. His previous coaching experience includes time at Ajax’s youth academy, a spell at Millwall, and positions in Spain’s lower divisions.
He later moved to Scandinavia, managing in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, where he led Hammarby to a third-place finish in 2022.
