QPR have announced the appointment of Marti Cifuentes as the club’s new head coach following the sacking of Gareth Ainsworth.

Rangers suffered a sixth straight league defeat when beaten 2-1 at home by leaders Leicester on Saturday to sit second bottom of the Sky Bet Championship, which saw Ainsworth depart.

The appointment of Spaniard Cifuentes, 41, is subject to a work permit and will see him leave Swedish top-flight side Hammarby, where he has been for the past two seasons.

QPR chief executive Lee Hoos said on the club website: “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.”