With new Timbers manager Marti Cifuentes arriving in the Rose City and set to make his touchline debut on Thursday against Club Tijuana, the Timbers have announced the updated coaching staff that will support Cifuentes moving forward. Arriving in the Rose City with Marti are Spaniards Xavi Calm and Javier Ortiz, who have worked with Cifuentes at several previous clubs. Interim Head Coach Jack Cassidy returns to Timbers2, and longtime first-team goalkeeper coach Memo Valencia joins Cassidy's staff. The Timbers also announce the departure of assistant coach and former club captain Liam Ridgewell, who has been a member of the coaching staff since the Giovanni Savarese era.
Xavi Calm- Assistant Coach
Xavi Calm is Marti Cifuentes' top deputy. The two Spaniards have worked together previously at Leicester City, Queen's Park Rangers, Hammarby IF, CE L'Hospitalet, Sant Andreu and UE Rubi. He was also an assistant coach at Birmingham City and was head coach of Atletico Baleares and UE Cornella. The 44-year-old is a holder of the UEFA Pro coaching license, which is the highest coaching qualification in the world.
Javi Ortiz- Goalkeeper Coach
Javi Ortiz joins the Timbers as first-team goalkeeper coach. Before he arrived in Portland, the Spaniard worked with Cifuentes at Leicester City and spent 7 years in Norway at Sandefjord, where he worked with Marti during the 2019 promotion-winning season. Before his time in Norway, the 34-year-old coached at CE L'Hospitalet and the Espanyol Academy. Ortiz is a holder of the UEFA B License.
Looking Ahead
"Xavi and Javi bring a wealth of coaching experience. We welcome them and their families to Portland, and we are excited to integrate them into the club. We will continue exploring additional options to strengthen and balance out our coaching staff going forward, providing Marti with a strong support system." - Ned Grabavoy
With the announcement of Calm and Ortiz to the Timbers coaching staff, the building blocks of the Marti Cifuentes era have begun to take shape. As Ned Grabavoy had mentioned previously, the club will continue exploring options to strengthen the coaching staff in the future.
Thank You, Ridgy
As Timbers fans have seen over the last several months, the only constant in the world of football is change. Unfortunately, the volatility of the beautiful game means sometimes clubs lose legends. Liam Ridgewell was a stalwart former club captain who was able to spend the formative years of his coaching career on the bench at Providence Park. I know he will go on to continue climbing the coaching ladder, and STF wishes him the best of luck as he approaches the next chapter in his career. Ridgy Rolls, forever.
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