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Leicester City, who were relegated from the Premier League after a disastrous 2024-25 season, have appointed Marti Cifuentes as the new manager of the club ahead of their Championship 2025-26 campaign. The 43-year-old, the former manager of Queens Park Rangers (QPR), has signed a three-year deal with Leicester City to manage their first team after the sacking of Ruud van Nistelrooy in the aftermath of their relegation from the Premier League.
Notably, Leicester City got relegated from the Premier League for the second time in three years after gaining promotion as the winners of the Championship 2023-24 season under Enzo Maresca, who now manages Chelsea, the reigning FIFA Club World Cup champions. Marti Cifuentes is currently the sixth permanent manager appointed by Leicester City in the last couple of years, showcasing the volatility involved in the job.
We felt strongly that bringing Marti Cifuentes to the club would help us to create success: Leicester City Chairman
For the arrival of Marti Cifuentes as their new manager, Leicester City will also pay an undisclosed compensation fee to Queens Park Rangers after he had them finish in 18th and 15th places in the last couple of Championship seasons. In his official statement about the new manager’s appointment, Club Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha called him an excellent fit before saying, “We felt strongly that bringing him to the club would help us to create the success we all want in the years ahead.”
After being put on “gardening leave” in April following a 5-0 loss for QPR under his management against Burnley, who eventually won the Championship, Marti Cifuentes has his task cut out to pick Leicester City up from their current slump. Calling his appointment as the club manager a great honour, he remarked, “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.”
