Timbers 'set to hire' former Leicester boss as new head coach 🇪🇸

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Emily Wilson

19 July 2026

Portland Timbers have reportedly selected former Leicester manager Martí Cifuentes as their next head coach, according to The Athletic's Tom Bogert.

The West Conference club currently have interim head coach Jack Cassidy running the show following the departure of Phil Neville in the spring.

Now, as Major League Soccer returns following the World Cup, they have decided to hire the 44-year-old. The decision reportedly came down to his "tactical acumen" and "attacking mentality."

The handoff from the interim head coach to the permanent hire is scheduled to occur after Cifuenters receives his visa.

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Sunday, 19 July 2026

The Spaniard was sacked by the Foxes in January despite seeing the club sit 14th and just six points off the playoffs in the Championship. After getting rid of the manager, Leicester were eventually relegated. Prior to that, Cifuentes helped QPR move from second-to-last to safety in 2023/24.

While his attacking mentality is key to Portland's scouts, he will also need to fix up a leaky defence during the second half of the season. The club has conceded the third-most goals (29) across just 14 games this season.

Friday, 17 July 2026

That subsequently sees the Timbers sit 11th in the table, six points off of last place in the West.

They did, however, win their first match back to regular season programming 5-1 over rivals Seattle Sounders under Cassidy on Thursday.

📸 Alex Livesey - 2026 Getty Images

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