Martí Cifuentes named new coach of the Portland Timbers

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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Timbers have hired Martí Cifuentes as the team’s new head coach.

Cifuentes signed a three-year contract with Portland through the 2028-29 Major League Soccer season. The Spanish coach will join the team following the visa approval process, the Timbers said Tuesday.

“I have always followed MLS, and it has long been an ambition of mine to experience this league,” Cifuentes said in a statement. “To have the chance to do so at a club like Portland, with such an incredible fanbase and an exciting group of players, is truly special.”

Cifuentes, 44, most recently served as coach of Leicester City in the EFL Championship. He also spent two seasons with the Queens Park Rangers.

He replaces Phil Neville, who parted ways with the Timbers in late May following a 3-1 loss at home to the San Jose Earthquakes.

The Timbers are 5-8-2 this season and sitting in 11th place in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference.

“Martí is a young, analytical leader who is as intellectually curious about his trade as I have seen in a coach. He has been tested in a variety of high-pressure environments and countries, and I have no doubt that with our support, Martí Cifuentes will build something truly special in Portland," Timbers owner Merritt Paulson said.

Jack Cassidy will continue as interim head coach for Portland until Cifuentes arrives. The Timbers downed the Seattle Sounders 5-1 last week in Cassidy's first match at the helm.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer