Timbers announce coaching staff updates

Portland adds assistant coach Xavi Calm and goalkeeper coach Javi Ortiz, parts ways with Liam Ridgewell

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers have announced two new additions to the coaching staff in assistant coach Xavi Calm and goalkeeper coach Javi Ortiz. Calm and Ortiz join the club after most recently serving on head coach Martí Cifuentes’ staff at Leicester City.

Additionally, the club has parted ways with assistant coach Liam Ridgewell. Goalkeeper coach Guillermo Valencia will support the first team staff through the transition before assuming a role with Timbers2. Jack Cassidy will return to his role as head coach of T2.

“We would like to thank Liam for his commitment to the Portland Timbers. He has grown and developed immensely as a coach during his time with the club, and we wish him all the best going forward in his career,” Timbers General Manager Ned Grabavoy shared. “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.”

Calm, 44, brings over a decade of coaching experience across England, Sweden, and Spain, including previous roles alongside Cifuentes at Queens Park Rangers (2023-25), Hammarby IF (2022-23), CE L'Hospitalet (2015-16), Sant Andreu (2014) and UE Rubí (2013-14). The Catalonia native also held managerial roles with Atlético Baleares (2020-2022), UE Cornellà (2018-19) and an assistant coaching position with Birmingham City (2019-20).

Ortiz, 34, arrives with an extensive background in goalkeeper development, spanning over a decade in senior and youth football across Spain, Norway, and England. Prior to his position with Leicester, he served seven seasons on Sandefjord’s staff (2019-25), where he worked under Cifuentes during the club’s promotion to the top-flight in 2019. A native of Barcelona, Ortiz began his goalkeeper coaching career at CE L'Hospitalet (2012-13) before spending six seasons (2013-18) in Espanyol’s academy system.

Calm holds a UEFA Pro License, while Ortiz holds a UEFA B License. The two will join Cifuentes’ technical staff for the remainder of the 2026 MLS season.