‘Disappointing’ – Championship manager placed on gardening leave after talks with rival club
QPR have placed manager Marti Cifuentes on gardening leave as rival Championship club West Brom attempt to secure his services. The Spaniard is understood to have fallen out with the board at the west London club. Cifuentes is looking to leave QPR ahead of next seasonGetty As talkSPORT reported on Sunday, Cifuentes’ representatives have held talks with West Brom. The Baggies are on the lookout for a new manager having parted company with Tony Mowbray on April 21 after a poor run of results. Assistant coaches Kevin Betsy and Xavi Calm will take interim charge of the Hoops – with one league fixture remaining at Sunderland on Saturday. CEO Christian Nourry said: “This is naturally a disappointing situation for everyone concerned. “I fully understand and appreciate supporters’ frustrations at this time. “As a club, we are working to ensure this matter is resolved as swiftly as possible so we can start preparations in earnest for the future.” Both QPR and West Brom will be playing in the Championship next term with a play-off finish or relegation not mathematically possible for either side. Spaniard Cifuentes joined QPR as head coach in October 2023 and later sealed their Championship survival at the end of the season. The 42-year-old, formerly of Swedish side Hammarby, has the Hoops sitting 15th in the second tier of English football. However, he appears keen to leave west London despite admitting he enjoys his job at QPR. Cifuentes has insisted he’s ‘very happy’ at the clubGetty Speaking on his future after their 5-0 defeat at home to Burnley at the weekend, Cifuentes said: “I said before that as long as I’m wanted, I’m very happy. “The way the fans have been supporting me, it makes me feel that I want to give them something back even more than the last two seasons. “In any case I am very calm about the job I have done and the fact that we have achieved what were difficult targets. “I’m an ambitious person in the sense that I always push myself. I always want to improve. “I have a contract and I want to keep improving. I enjoy my job here, enjoy English football, and am ready for more. “I’ve said that the support from the fans that I’ve got this season, in very difficult moments, is something that I have never seen before and will stay with me forever. But his final home game in charge could prove to be their 5-0 thrashing they received from BurnleyGetty “That’s why I’m very sad today. Today hurts. It doesn’t define what this team has done this season and it’s very sad to finish that way.” QPR are playing in the Championship for the tenth consecutive season since their relegation from the Premier League in 2015. A ninth-place finish in the 2020/21 campaign is the closest they’ve come to a return to the top flight. The Hoops travel to Sunderland, who are confirmed to be in the play-offs, on the final day of the season on Saturday. As for West Brom, they are tenth in the Championship, five points off the play-off spots. Their final match of the season sees them face relegation-threatened Luton Town at the Hawthorns on Saturday.
QPR have placed manager Marti Cifuentes on gardening leave as rival Championship club West Brom attempt to secure his services.
The Spaniard is understood to have fallen out with the board at the west London club.
As talkSPORT reported on Sunday, Cifuentes’ representatives have held talks with West Brom.
The Baggies are on the lookout for a new manager having parted company with Tony Mowbray on April 21 after a poor run of results.
Assistant coaches Kevin Betsy and Xavi Calm will take interim charge of the Hoops – with one league fixture remaining at Sunderland on Saturday.
CEO Christian Nourry said: “This is naturally a disappointing situation for everyone concerned.
“I fully understand and appreciate supporters’ frustrations at this time.
“As a club, we are working to ensure this matter is resolved as swiftly as possible so we can start preparations in earnest for the future.”
Both QPR and West Brom will be playing in the Championship next term with a play-off finish or relegation not mathematically possible for either side.
Spaniard Cifuentes joined QPR as head coach in October 2023 and later sealed their Championship survival at the end of the season.
The 42-year-old, formerly of Swedish side Hammarby, has the Hoops sitting 15th in the second tier of English football.
However, he appears keen to leave west London despite admitting he enjoys his job at QPR.
Speaking on his future after their 5-0 defeat at home to Burnley at the weekend, Cifuentes said: “I said before that as long as I’m wanted, I’m very happy.
“The way the fans have been supporting me, it makes me feel that I want to give them something back even more than the last two seasons.
“In any case I am very calm about the job I have done and the fact that we have achieved what were difficult targets.
“I’m an ambitious person in the sense that I always push myself. I always want to improve.
“I have a contract and I want to keep improving. I enjoy my job here, enjoy English football, and am ready for more.
“I’ve said that the support from the fans that I’ve got this season, in very difficult moments, is something that I have never seen before and will stay with me forever.
“That’s why I’m very sad today. Today hurts. It doesn’t define what this team has done this season and it’s very sad to finish that way.”
QPR are playing in the Championship for the tenth consecutive season since their relegation from the Premier League in 2015.
A ninth-place finish in the 2020/21 campaign is the closest they’ve come to a return to the top flight.
The Hoops travel to Sunderland, who are confirmed to be in the play-offs, on the final day of the season on Saturday.
As for West Brom, they are tenth in the Championship, five points off the play-off spots.
Their final match of the season sees them face relegation-threatened Luton Town at the Hawthorns on Saturday.
