Marti Cifuentes has left Queens Park Rangers to join Leicester City.
The Spaniard, who departed Loftus Road last month by mutual consent, will replace Ruud Van Nistelrooy in the dugout at the King Power Stadium.
Van Nistelrooy arrived in the east Midlands in November 2024, but he could not stop the rot as the Foxes were relegated to the Championship after just one season back in the Premier League.
The Dutchman was dismissed after a long period of uncertainty in June, and Leicester have now moved for Cifuentes with less than a month before the new season kicks off.
Cifuentes has signed a three-year deal at Leicester, and he becomes their sixth manager in just two years after the departures of Enzo Maresca, Steve Cooper, and now Van Nistelrooy in the past 12 months.
Martí Cifuentes & Xavi Calm have joined Leicester.
— QPR FC (@QPR) July 15, 2025
Martí left QPR in June following a period of gardening leave. As part of the agreement, the club retained compensation rights for any future employment.
This matter has now been concluded.
Xavi reunites with him at Leicester.
Leicester will pay QPR an undisclosed compensation fee for Cifuentes, who was placed on gardening leave by his former employers just days before the final game of the Championship season, after the R’s were beaten 5-0 by Burnley, with chief executive Christian Nourry calling it “a disappointing situation for everyone concerned”.
Now, the Foxes have appointed a manager that they believe will bring “a modern, progressive footballing philosophy" , and the club chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha deemed Cifuentes "an excellent fit".
Cifuentes himself said it was “a great honour” to join the former Premier League champions.
“This is a fantastic Club with a proud history and it’s a privilege to me to be asked to help write the next chapter.,” the 43-year-old said.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know the players, as well as connecting with our supporters and the city in the weeks and months ahead. I can see the passion that exists here, and I’m excited to begin this journey together.”
