Leicester City’s relegation campaign brought plenty of scrutiny on and off the pitch. Now, former manager Martí Cifuentes has offered a glimpse into how he viewed his time at the club.
The Spaniard, who left Leicester in January, has spoken to Mundo Deportivo about his coaching career and reflected on a spell that ended far earlier than he had hoped.
Cifuentes arrived at Leicester during a challenging period for the club and admitted the project did not develop as expected.
“It wasn’t the exit we wanted,” he said. “The expectations when we signed were different, although we knew it was a moment of transition for the club.”
The 43-year-old pointed to a strong start to the season before suggesting circumstances became increasingly complicated as the campaign progressed.
“We started the season very well, but then there were things that were difficult to manage. It’s a shame because it’s a very big club with very good supporters.”
Cifuentes questions lack of patience
The former Leicester manager also spoke about what he sees as a growing problem across football. Specifically, he highlighted a lack of patience when clubs embark on long-term projects.
According to Cifuentes, supporters and owners can sometimes underestimate how much time is needed to implement ideas and build a successful team.
“There are exceptions, but in general there is a lack of awareness of what a process involves,” he explained.
“Supporters and owners sometimes think coaches have a magic wand, but the reality is that some processes need time. In football, the only thing that gives you time is winning.”
The Spaniard pointed to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and former Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp as examples of coaches who faced difficult periods before eventually being rewarded with success.
Former Foxes boss outlines football philosophy
Martí Cifuentes also used the interview to explain the footballing principles that have shaped his coaching career.
The Spaniard said he fell in love with football during Johan Cruyff’s famous Barcelona “Dream Team” era and admitted that influence remains visible in the way he wants his sides to play.
“I try to make my teams attack constantly,” he said. “I don’t believe in possession as an end in itself, but as a tool to dominate matches.”
Cifuentes added that he likes his teams to be “brave” and wants them to recover possession as quickly as possible, although he acknowledged coaches must adapt their ideas to different environments and squads.
He also insisted his attacking mentality has remained unchanged. This is despite spending much of the last decade working outside Spain.
After leaving Spanish football in 2016 for what was initially supposed to be a one-year experience in Sweden, Cifuentes ended up spending eight years in Scandinavia. Afterwards, he moved to England, where he worked with both Queens Park Rangers and Leicester.
The former Leicester boss believes modern football is becoming increasingly focused on aggressive man-to-man pressing. This leads to faster transitions and greater physical demands on players.
Open to another opportunity in England
Despite the disappointment of how things ended at Leicester, Cifuentes spoke positively about English football. Moreover, he suggested he would welcome another opportunity in the country.
Discussing his experiences at both QPR and Leicester, he described the Championship as one of the toughest leagues in the game.
“The Championship is a very competitive and very tough league,” he said. “There is a lot of direct football and it is extremely demanding.”
Looking ahead, Cifuentes made it clear he remains open to continuing his career in England, although he also admitted he would like to return to Spain at some point.
“If you’d asked me 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have imagined this journey,” he said.
“I’m open to continuing in England and also to other projects. The important thing is finding somewhere where I feel comfortable.”
The Spaniard added that managing in one of Europe’s top five leagues remains one of his major ambitions, although he stressed he is more focused on finding the right project than chasing a specific destination.
