Marti Cifuentes has been appointed as the new head coach of QPR.

The Catalan tactician, 41, replaces Gareth Ainsworth who was sacked after a sixth straight Championship defeat on Saturday to leaders Leicester that left them 23rd in the table.

QPR's CEO Lee Hoos expressed his happiness in having brought Cifuentes to West London from Swedish outfit Hammarby.

Hoos said: "We are delighted to bring Marti in and I would firstly like to thank Hammarby for being fantastic to deal with throughout the process.

"Marti is an exciting appointment and we look forward to seeing the impact he can have. 

"Having a succession plan in place is a necessary part of football, irrespective of how the team are performing. 

"Marti is someone we have been aware of so we are really pleased to have been able to secure his services."

Cifuentes was in charge of Hammarby for two seasons, having also previously coached in Spain, Norway and Denmark.

Last term, his side finished third in Allsvenskan and subsequently entered into the qualification stages for the 2023-24 Europa Conference League, where they lost to Dutch side FC Twente.

He is now tasked with turning around a poor start to the season for the Rs who have only managed two wins and two draws from 14 league appearances this season.

Darren Moore's Huddersfield currently occupy the spot above the relegation zone — six points ahead of QPR.

Cifuentes' tenure starts with a trip to fellow strugglers Rotherham on Saturday before a first home game against Bristol City on November 11.