Marti Cifuentes skips QPR training as official West Brom move made
West Brom have taken a major step closer to the appointment of Marti Cifuentes as it has been revealed he has skipped Queens Park Rangers training.
Cifuentes steered QPR away from stark relegation danger in the first half of the season, with the West London side now in mid-table, just eight points behind West Brom.
The Baggies have fallen off the pace and seen their play-off challenge disintegrate, resulting in Tony Mowbray losing his job just three months after returning to The Hawthorns.
West Brom targeting Cifuentes as new manager
As revealed by The Telegraph‘s John Percy (29 April), West Brom have identified Cifuentes as a top target to succeed Mowbray.
The Albion have just one Championship fixture remaining this season, against survival-hunting Luton Town, with James Morrison in line to take the reins.
But it now looks as if Cifuentes, who joined QPR in his first English managerial role back in October 2023, may well have managed his final game at Loftus Road and is wanted at The Hawthorns.
The Spaniard did not take training on Tuesday (29 April), after QPR were hammered 5-0 at home by Burnley over the weekend, though following the game he complimented the way he had been treated by the Hoops, albeit coy over his future.
West Brom are still ongoing with their managerial recruitment process, but Cifuentes has become a prominent figure within it and could well be appointed sooner rather than later.
Baggies took almost a month to replace Carlos Corberan
Mowbray was finally announced for his second spell at The Hawthorns in January, almost a month after Corberan left for Valencia over Christmas.
Across that period, Chris Brunt took interim charge, but West Brom appeared to try and fail with their recruitment of others.
Supporters backed the idea of a return for Mowbray, who previously steered the Baggies into the Premier League in 2008 as well as reaching an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
| Marti Cifuentes – QPR record | |
| Matches | 82 |
| Won | 27 |
| Drawn | 24 |
| Lost | 31 |
| Win rate | 32.93% |
However, it was never to be the same, as the team looked disjointed and form took a nosedive, before Albion eventually simmered out of the play-off race.
Cifuentes, 42, has also previously managed in Sweden, Denmark and Norway as well as his native Spain, and remains among several being considered by the hierarchy to succeed Mowbray.