Johannes Hoff Thorup has rejected QPR - Julien Stephan and two others should be eyed at Loftus Road | OneFootball

Johannes Hoff Thorup turns down QPR job. With the search restarting, we assess three realistic options to take charge at Loftus Road.

Former Norwich City boss Johannes Hoff Thorup has reportedly rejected the chance to take charge of Queens Park Rangers.

In a search to replace Marti Cifuentes, who had been placed on gardening leave, the R's had been in talks with the 36-year-old. However, as per reports from Danish outlet Tipsbladet, Thorup has now rejected the opportunity to take on his second managerial stint in England.

After seeming well on the way towards appointing Cifuentes' successor, the West London outfit are now back to square one in their search.

Enduring an inconsistent campaign resulting in a 15th-placed finish, QPR are looking to further stabilise in the Championship under their next head coach. However, with the managerial search now back on, we explore three options that should be high on the list at Loftus Road.

Ole Werner

Before his departure at the end of this term, Ole Werner had overseen 13th, ninth, and eighth-place finishes for Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga following his work to get the club promoted in 2021.

Previously in charge at Holstein Kiel before his move to one of the giants of German football, Werner was able to stabilise, and lay the foundations for what would eventually become a top-flight club in Kiel.

And it is his stable work that has earned him plaudits across the Bundesliga. The 37-year-old took charge at the Weserstadion in 2021, with the club sitting in 10th place after 20 matches in the 2. Bundesliga. He delivered a promotion in the same campaign, with the Green-Whites finishing as runners-up ahead of arch-nemesis Hamburg.

Bremen continued to stabilise in the top flight, with Niclas Füllkrug in particular making a real name for himself under Werner.

At the end of the 2024/25 campaign, Werner and Bremen parted ways, with the coach deciding not to extend his contract beyond 2026, while Werder were in search of continuity and clarity following a late charge for European football.

Coaching an exciting style of play while remaining organised, Werner's Bremen side ranked on level pegging with four other sides in the Bundesliga when it comes to average possession, just behind the more dominant ball-playing sides in the division.

With Werner looking for a fresh start after a fantastic period with the River-Islanders, his ability to bring stability alongside progression could make him the perfect man to take the reins at QPR, who themselves are in need of a stable and inspired appointment.

Julien Stephan

A coach with a reputation for tactical clarity and calm authority, Julien Stephan has emerged as a front-runner for the QPR job, according to LondonWorld, as the West London club considers their next move.

Best known for his two spells in charge of Rennes, the 44-year-old guided the club to their first-ever Champions League group stage appearance and delivered a historic Coupe de France triumph in 2019, Rennes’ first major trophy in nearly half a century.

Between those two periods at Roazhon Park, Stephan enjoyed a successful spell with Strasbourg, where he led the club to a sixth-place finish in Ligue 1 in 2021/22, their highest league finish since 1980. That achievement only strengthened his growing reputation as one of the most thoughtful young managers in French football.

His return to Rennes in the summer of 2023 was more difficult. A 10th-place finish in 2023/24 saw the club fall short of European qualification for the first time in seven years, and after a poor start to the following campaign, he was dismissed in November 2024.

Despite that setback, Stephan remains well-regarded in coaching circles. He was strongly linked with the France U21 role following Thierry Henry’s departure, before Gerald Baticle was handed the post. Football pedigree runs in the family; his father, Guy Stephan, has served as Didier Deschamps' long-time assistant with the French national team.

With QPR in search of a steady and inspired appointment, Stephan’s blend of experience, composure, and developmental focus makes him a compelling candidate to lead a new chapter at Loftus Road.

Jess Thorup

A compatriot of Johannes Hoff Thorup, namesake Jess Thorup, has recently departed Bavarian side FC Augsburg after guiding the club to a 12th-place finish in the Bundesliga.

With the club looking for a new direction under highly-rated coach Sandro Wagner, Thorup was relieved of his duties following a disappointing end to the season that saw Augsburg winless in four.

However, before this, Thorup's work can be compared to the aforementioned Werner when it comes to stability. Taking over in 2023, Thorup's Augsburg had been involved in the race for European football throughout his two seasons in charge. However, an ultimate lack of quality compared to other clubs in the race saw Augsburg slip away in the latter stages.

A calm individual, Thorup's men had a fantastic steel about them. Following a 1-0 home loss against Stuttgart as the league resumed after the winter break, Augsburg went on a fantastic 11-match unbeaten run until an eventual loss against Champions and Bavarian neighbours Bayern Munich.

During this time, the club conceded just once, with German-English goalkeeper Finn Dahmen notching up 683 minutes of football without conceding a goal.

While form tailed off towards the end of the campaign once European football was off the table, Thorup's Augsburg were extremely organised, and the most solid side in the division as they went on to concede the lowest number of goals since their January return.

"We would like to thank Jess Thorup for his commitment to Augsburg over the past two years," said managing director Michael Ströll in a statement on the official club website.

"Jess fully identified with Augsburg at all times and stabilised us over the last two years. The decision was anything but easy for us. However, after an intensive review and discussions, we have come to the conclusion to make a change in the position of head coach for the further development and direction of our club. We wish Jess and his family all the very best."

With stability at the heart of discussions regarding QPR's next manager, Thorup’s ability to steady a side, as highlighted by Augsburg’s leadership, makes him another strong candidate to bring that same assurance to Loftus Road.