Cifuentes’ CV In Focus

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Cifuentes’ CV In Focus

Charting Martí Cifuentes’ career from Spain to Scandinavia and beyond, following his appointment as our new Manager on a three-year contract this week.

2025-07-15T18:01+01:00

by Sam Jones

Published

15 Jul, 2025

Cifuentes’ CV In Focus

Charting Martí Cifuentes’ career from Spain to Scandinavia and beyond, following his appointment as our new Manager on a three-year contract this week.

Sam Jones

2025-07-15T18:01+01:00

Cifuentes’ CV In Focus

Charting Martí Cifuentes’ career from Spain to Scandinavia and beyond, following his appointment as our new Manager on a three-year contract this week.

Sam Jones

2025-07-15T18:01+01:00

Cifuentes’ CV In Focus

Charting Martí Cifuentes’ career from Spain to Scandinavia and beyond, following his appointment as our new Manager on a three-year contract this week.

Sam Jones

2025-07-15T18:01+01:00

Cifuentes’ CV In Focus

Charting Martí Cifuentes’ career from Spain to Scandinavia and beyond, following his appointment as our new Manager on a three-year contract this week.

Sam Jones

2025-07-15T18:01+01:00

A Catalonian native born in Sant Cugat del Vallès, located north of Barcelona, Cifuentes was quick to move into coaching, earning his stripes alongside a playing career before hanging up his boots early to fully focus on forging a path within management.

A far-ranging career, his array of experiences within differing European footballing cultures has no doubt elevated his coaching prowess, with his latest exploits in the Sky Bet Championship standing him in good stead for the challenges to come.

The Spaniard began his youth career at hometown club Sant Cugat, later turning out for amateur sides CFU Mirasol-Baco and UE Sant Quirze Besora. Coaching CE Sabadell Under-19s for over two years, he moved to become first team assistant manager at the local outfit in 2006.

Not content with staying in Spain, soon moving across the continent to hone his coaching skills within both Ajax and Millwall’s youth setups, he also obtained a master’s degree in business administration from Johan Cruyff University, broadening his horizons away from the dugout.

Then working for another Barcelona-based side, Terrassa FC, he turned his attention solely to coaching in 2010 and staying in Catalonia, a stint as manager of UE Rubí’s youth team followed a premature end to his playing days at Sant Quirze, achieving promotion to the National League.

Cifuentes clearly made an impression and, after briefly combining his role with that of first team assistant coach, he would be appointed first team manager of the Spanish fourth tier outfit three years later, securing his first top job in the process.

Less than a year into his tenure, in early 2014, Segunda División B side Sant Andreu acquired his services, moving up to the third tier for the remainder of the season, ensuring the team maintained their league status.

Staying in the division to become CE L'Hospitalet manager a year later, he departed after 10 months and embarked on his first major assignment abroad, heading to Sweden as AIK youth team and then Under-19s manager.

Getting a taste of Scandinavian football, it led to his appointment as head coach of Norwegian side Sandefjord. Hired midway through the 2018 season, Cifuentes took over a struggling team, and though he only lost six of 18 matches following his arrival, they were relegated from Eliteserien.

In his first full season in charge, the Spaniard guided the Whalers back to the top-flight, before securing their best position in over a decade, finishing 11th. After 81 matches in charge, Aalborg saw Cifuentes as their new man and moved to appoint him at the start of 2021.

Following an impressive year, leaving Aalborg fourth in the Danish Superliga when Hammarby IF came calling, his start to life back in Sweden also proved to be a success, named Allsvenskan Manager of the Month following five consecutive victories – an award he would claim for a second time later in the season.

A penalty kick away from winning the Svenska Cupen Final, their third-place league finish saw the Stockholm-based side qualify for the 2023/24 UEFA Europa Conference League. Queens Park Rangers was his next point of call in October 2023, arriving at Loftus Road having averaged 1.81 points per game at the time of his departure from Hammarby.

The 43-year-old favoured a 4-2-3-1 formation with the R’s. Keen to play open, attacking football, Cifuentes adapted his style to be more pragmatic last term, having to contend with a lengthy injury list which included 10 first team players.

Forced to field players out of position during the first half of the season, QPR recovered well over Christmas. An excellent festive period included winning five home fixtures in a row, part of a run of one defeat in 13 league games. Coincidentally, the Hoops’ only other defeat in that streak came against Leicester in the Emirates FA Cup, with City running out 6-2 winners on Filbert Way.

Eventually finishing 15th in the Championship,Cifuentes departed after 83 matches, and is now set to get to work in Seagrave.

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