Marti Cifuentes is trusting new Leicester City goalkeeping coach Javi Ortiz to strengthen the entire department after “finally” arriving at the club.
In the first backroom addition at City since Cifuentes came in with his assistant manager Xavi Calm in July, Ortiz has made the switch from Norwegian side Sandefjord.
It’s a reunion for the City boss and Ortiz, who know each other from their coaching days in Barcelona, with Cifuentes previously taking Ortiz with him to Norway. After five years apart, they are teaming up once more.
City had been trying to secure Ortiz for a while, but hold-ups with the move meant lead academy goalkeeping coach Glyn Thompson had been working with Jakub Stolarczyk during the opening couple of months of the campaign.
“We’re very happy with Glyn, the job he has done since I joined, covering this situation while we were working for a while to bring Javi in,” Cifuentes said.
“I know him from my time in Barcelona and we worked together in Norway. I think he will bring a lot of experience and knowledge in this position.
“I think he will bring a way of working that can help as well the whole club to try to improve in this area.
“We’re happy he’s finally here, a bit later than what we wanted. Thanks as well to Sandefjord for helping us in this process as well.
“I’m sure he will help the three keepers plus the academy keepers that we’ve got to keep improving.”
Alongside Ortiz and Calm, City also have first-team coach Andy King and set-piece specialist Andrew Hughes as part of Cifuentes’ backroom staff for the senior squad. And that may complete the group.
Asked if there were intentions to add any more coaches, Cifuentes said: “Not at the moment.”