Queens Park Rangers board issues message to fans ahead of the 2025/26 season, thanking them for their support.
The 2024/25 season was marked by a challenging start, a near-playoff push, and a 15th place finish with the same points as the previous season.
Fans showed loyalty with record season ticket sales and consistent sell-outs, with the board acknowledging the difficult departure of former Head Coach Martí Cifuentes, thanking him for his contributions, and welcomes new Head Coach Julien Stéphan and First Team Coach Alou Diarra, supported by a robust coaching structure including Kevin Betsy, Jon De Souza, and Steve Bould.
The aim going forward is a strategic focus on signing younger players aims for long-term sustainability, with fans urged to support their integration.
Off the pitch, QPR is exploring opportunities to enhance competitiveness, with dedicated staff working tirelessly. The Board reaffirms its commitment to making fans proud.
STATEMENT:
The club said via their official website: Following the players’ return for pre-season training and as we prepare for the 2025/26 campaign, the Board have provided the following club update:
We start by thanking all the club’s supporters for the backing you gave the team throughout the 2024/25 season – from a difficult start, to being on the brink of the playoffs, to a challenging conclusion which ultimately saw us end the season with the same number of points we achieved in 2023/24, you were there.
Through those periods of highs and lows, your support was a constant, selling out home matches and packing out away ends. It is during difficult periods that you learn about a fan base – and your backing of the team spoke volumes and was a further demonstration of how passionate you are towards Queens Park Rangers Football Club.
That has been further highlighted with our best season ticket sales during the Loyalty Window in a decade as we all get ready for 2025/26.
On behalf of us all, genuinely thank you.
While the support you provide the club is deeply appreciated, that doesn’t mean it should be taken for granted. We are absolutely determined to show that we won’t do that.
The end to last season was difficult, with Martí Cifuentes being placed on garden leave. It certainly was not the end to his time at QPR that any of us wanted.
While we now move in different directions, as a Board we want to publicly thank Martí for his hard work during his time here. We head into the new season as a Championship club, and Martí played his part in that.
As we look forwards, we are delighted to have been able to acquire the services of Julien Stéphan as our new Head Coach, and Alou Diarra as First Team Coach. They have only been with us for a short time but they have already settled in well and are having a positive impact.
In order to build a solid foundation for the future, we believe it is absolutely paramount to have a strong structure around a Head Coach to support their efforts. By having coaches such as Kevin Betsy (Individual Development Coach), Jon De Souza (Head of Methodology) and the recently-appointed Head of Defensive Coaching & First Team Coach Steve Bould in place, we believe this structure will help Julien to build on the good work that went before him.
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Our Development Squad’s Premier League Cup success was a real highlight for us all last season. It was an incredible evening at MATRADE Loftus Road and your support of the team that night showed us how desperate you are for success.
The Women’s team came under the club umbrella last season and we have been delighted with the progress made in this area, which included a great FA Cup adventure in 2024/25. We have made a number of signings ahead of the new season and are excited about what can be achieved in the coming years.
During the close season we undertook a full review of last year – elements that went well and areas that can be improved. We want to assure all supporters that we are working hard to develop all areas where it will give the team an advantage, both on and off the pitch.
Fans will have noticed we have spent more time and a greater portion of our budget on signing younger players who we hope to integrate into the first-team environment. This strategy working in the long-term will be critical to us becoming a self-sustaining football club.
Young players need time, patience and support to flourish and achieve great things with us. We have no doubt you will play your part to create that environment for them.
Similarly, we saw players join us from overseas last season who all needed time to adapt to their new surroundings. The role you have to play in their successful transition to English football cannot be underestimated. We ask you to continue that support in 2025/26.
Off the pitch, we are in the process of exploring new opportunities which we feel will help QPR take important steps forward as we do everything we can to be as competitive as possible.
The staff at QPR are working incredibly hard to put the club in the best possible position to progress. We want to thank all the fantastic people who work tirelessly behind the scenes, often unnoticed by supporters. Their passion for QPR and their dedication never cease to amaze us.
Once again, we thank you for the support you continue to provide QPR. We remain absolutely committed – and determined to give you a club to be proud of.
Lee, Christian, Ruben, Amit & Richard
Here’s how social media users reacted as the Queens Park Rangers board issues a message to fans ahead of the 2025/26 season…
@Arthur673716877: Love it – so easy to forget how important it is to have owners like this, especially looking around the championship and seeing those struggling (understatement) at the moment with theirs
@californiahoop: Top owners!!
James English: Great communication with the supporters thank you. It’s always very much appreciated and most of us know the hard work that goes on behind the scenes that can’t always be shared at every given moment. You rrrrrrrrrr’s!!!!!
Doug Philpott: Well said and good to know the work is being done on and off the pitch 👏👏👏👏
Colin Wheeler: Good, solid statement from the Directors.
Colin Pollard: New contract for Charlie kelman. And I will be happy cheers guys
Gareth Miles: we have had our ups and downs but having seen how some clubs are being run in the championship I think our owners deserve great credit in sticking with it and hopefully turning the corner, it certainly seems that way recently imo 👍
Darren Dimmock: Excellent communication from the club, gives good confidence and excitement to us fans, COYRS 🔵⚪️
David McCullagh: I’m assuming the project they’ve been mentioning is signing young and/or foreign players unknown to us, so they’re requesting for patience and hopefully we can eventually have a push
Gaz Griffin: New contract for Kelman, and a few more attacking signings would be great, ta.
Julie Lincoln: And get Saito back please!! 🙏
