Championship expert tips Marti Cifuentes for move to play-off hopefuls this summer after QPR fiasco

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Marti Cifuentes was placed on gardening leave by QPR after his links with the West Brom job towards the end of last season.

Spaniard Marti Cifuentes steered QPR to safety from relegation last season after his side finished 15th in the Championship table, having flirted with demotion throughout the campaign.

QPR beat Sunderland 1-0 at the Stadium of Light on the final day of the regular season, with assistant coaches Xavi Calm and Kevin Betsy taking charge, after Cifuentes was placed on gardening leave by the R’s.

This transpired as a result of rumours circulating that Cifuentes was poised for the West Brom job, only for reports to confirm Cifuentes was not on West Brom’s managerial shortlist.

Despite his QPR tenure ending in turbulence, Cifuentes has cemented himself as one of the best coaches in the second tier and has been tipped to return for next season.

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Marti Cifuentes tipped to return to Championship for 25/26 season

Cifuentes arrived at QPR in October 2023, following the sacking of Gareth Ainsworth, and his qualities on the touchline have impressed throughout his 83-game tenure.

Former Norwich boss Johannes Hoff Thorup was in line to take charge at QPR, but he has since rejected the offer after holding talks with the R’s, and thus the managerial situation has cast a confusing cloud over Loftus Road.

Amid QPR’s period of chaos, one Championship expert has backed Cifuentes to be poached by a host of second tier sides, who are chasing promotion during the 25/26 campaign.

Ryan Dilks, of the Second Tier podcast, said: “12 months ago, Marti Cifuentes was getting praised to high heaven for the job he was doing at QPR. He did miraculously well to keep them up, especially after how terrible they looked under Gareth Ainsworth.

“Defensively they were rock solid, and they got by despite not having the greatest tools to work with in attack.

“This past season, has essentially revolved around one excellent run of form that was bookended by two terrible runs of form.

“Considering what he managed to do at QPR, without the greatest set of resources, I’d be interested to see how he could do at a team higher up the table.

“Any team looking for a manager next season, with an outside chance of getting the play-offs, he should definitely be of interest to them.

“Marti Cifuentes, I think, would be a very good appointment for the vast majority of teams in the Championship next season.”

Middlesbrough would fall into that category, of play-off chasing clubs who currently are without a manager after Boro parted ways with Michael Carrick, and Cifuentes’ impressive second tier record highlights why he will be a wanted head coach this summer.

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Marti Cifuentes’ record at QPR since taking over from Gareth Ainsworth

Since arriving in October 2023, Cifuentes has impressed with the London outfit, steering them to safety in his first season at the helm and then towards a 15th-placed finish this term, finishing seven points above the drop zone.

Cifuentes has won acclaim for his mixture of exciting, attack-minded football and defensive stability.

Amid their search for a head coach last summer, eventual play-off final winners Sunderland were interested in the signature of Cifuentes, before deciding on Regis Le Bris ahead of this season.

If the Spaniard does indeed depart this summer, he leaves QPR with a record of 29 wins, 23 draws and 31 losses from a total of 83 in charge, which constitutes a 35 percent win rate.