QPR confirm new head coach as Arsenal great joins coaching staff
A day after announcing Marti Cifuentes has officially left the club, Queen's Park Rangers have confirmed the hiring of Julien Stephan as the club's new head coach, with Arsenal great Steve Bould also coming aboard
QPR have appointed Frenchman Julien Stephan as their new head coach.
The 44-year-old's arrival comes a day after Marti Cifuentes officially left the club having been placed on garden leave following the penultimate game of the Championship season. Stephan has previously worked in Ligue 1 in two spells with his boyhood club Rennes, with whom he won the Coupe de France in 2019, and one with Strasbourg.
'I feel very proud and excited to join QPR,' said Stephan on QPR official 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 also, the tempo of the game, the culture around the club all make it a very stimulating environment for a coach.'
Rangers finished 15th in the table but won only two of their final 12 games under Cifuentes, with a 5-0 home loss to Burnley the final straw.
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.'
QPR also confirmed the appointment of Steve Bould as head of defensive coaching and first team coach.
The former Arsenal, Stoke and Sunderland defender will coach from first team level through to the club's academy age groups alongside his work as a first team coach.
Speaking about his aims, Bould told the club's official website: 'Firstly, the first team defensively to become better. If the individuals within that squad can get better defensively, that's the number one priority.
'Secondly, I want the younger players further down the line to become great players or great defenders.
'That's the brief. It's a big brief and I'm looking forward to it immensely.'
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