According to a report from The Athletic, the Portland Timbers are preparing to hire Marti Cifuentes as their new head coach, bringing in a coach with more than ten years of experience working in European soccer.
The 44-year-old Cifuentes would step into the role currently held by interim coach Jack Cassidy, who took over after the organization parted ways with Phil Neville back in May. Portland comes into this coaching change with some momentum, having just defeated rival Seattle Sounders 5-1 on Thursday. The club currently holds an 11th-place standing in the Western Conference with a record of 5-8-2 and 17 points, sitting three points behind a playoff berth with 19 games still to play.
Born in Barcelona, Spain, Cifuentes most recently served as head coach of Leicester City in the EFL — a club that has since been relegated to EFL League One. His coaching résumé also includes stints with Queens Park Rangers and Hammarby, among other clubs.
The Saturday night report noted that former Austin FC head coach Josh Wolff and Panama national team head coach Thomas Christensen were also finalists for the position, as Portland considered candidates from both within the United States and internationally.
The Athletic had previously reported that former Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin — who is slated to take over as Austin’s head coach next season — had also held discussions with Portland regarding the vacancy.
