QPR are said to have asked Swedish side Hammarby IF for permission to speak with manager Marti Cifuentes over the vacant post at Loftus Road.
QPR are on the hunt for a new boss after Mick Beale’s decision to leave the club and return to Rangers.
It leaves the R’s with the difficult task of finding a replacement ready and able to continue the project at Loftus Road and a host of names have been mentioned as potential targets for the R’s in their search for a new manager.
Now, a report from Swedish outlet Sportbladet has revealed QPR are looking at a left-field option in 40-year-old Cifuentes.
They state that the Championship promotion hopefuls have approached Hammarby to ask for permission to speak with the Spaniard over the vacant post in West London. He’s enjoyed a strong stint with the Allsvenskan side to date and the R’s would like to speak with Cifuentes over the possibility of coming in as Beale’s replacement.
More on Cifuentes…
After a low-level playing career, Cifuentes first started coaching in youth football in his native of Spain. He stepped up to senior management in the country too, leading UE Rubi, Sand Andreu and CE L’Hospitalet after also working in Ajax and Millwall’s academies in 2007.
He then headed to Sweden to coach in AIK’s academy before landing the Sandefjord job. He then spent time in Denmark as Aalborg BK boss but switched back to Sweden in January of this year.
He’s been a big hit with Hammarby since, managing an average of two points-per-game and qualifying for next season’s Europa Conference League after coming in 3rd.
Little might be known about Cifuentes on these shores but his coaching career looks to be gaining some momentum and at only 40, he fits the profile at Loftus Road. It’s a left-field link, but he could be one to keep an eye on amid these new claims.
