QPR appoint Julien Stéphan as their new head coach following the exit of their former manager Marti Cifuentes.
Julien Stéphan, a Frenchman, has been named head coach of Queens Park Rangers. The 44-year-old arrived one day after Martí Cifuentes formally departed after being put on gardening leave following the Championship season’s penultimate match. Stéphan has worked in Ligue 1 twice, first with Strasbourg and once with his childhood team, Rennes, who won the 2019 Coupe de France.
“I feel very proud and excited to join QPR,” Stéphan told the club’s website. “QPR is a historic club with strong values and passionate fans, so I feel honoured. I wanted to come here because I know there’s a lot of passion around the club and around the team, and I feel very lucky to discover that.
“There is something unique about English football. The intensity, the atmosphere, the passion of the fans, the tempo of the game, the culture around the club all make it a very stimulating environment for a coach.”
Rangers lost to Burnley 5-0 at home in their most recent game, although they won two of their last 12 games under Cifuentes and finished in 15th place.
QPR CEO, Christian Nourry, said: “Julien’s track record of developing young players into world-class talent was a major factor in our decision to appoint him. Alongside this, both at Rennes and Strasbourg he achieved historic league success.”