Carlos Cuesta is also finding out rapidly that life in Parma is not about the glamour of north London but surviving in the trenches of Serie A. The young coach, who used to be one of the brains at the Arsenal team led by Mikel Arteta, has been given the keys at the Parma team that is on a shoestring budget and operates on guts and grit. And as the playbook of Cuesta may have certain overtones of the Emirates, he is at work on his own Italian opera–full of strategic cords and chords of despair, and of the miracle now and then inspired by a cup of espresso.
The Cuesta Way: Arsenal Precision, Italian Passion
According to sources, Cuesta has brought some Arsenal habits to the Italian plains—structured pressing, methodical training sessions, and more whiteboard diagrams than a NASA control room. But Serie A isn’t the Premier League, and Italian defenders have a habit of treating new philosophies like unsolicited pizza toppings—interesting, but suspicious. Still, there’s a charm to Cuesta’s approach. He’s trying to make Parma press high, attack smart, and score goals that don’t depend on divine intervention.
Critics Can’t Resist—But Cuesta Doesn’t Flinch
The Italian press, ever the drama connoisseurs, have been quick to pounce.
According to one of the headlines, the tactics used by Cuesta were too Arsenal, not Parma. But that is like saying that espresso is too bitter- it is supposed to be. Cuesta’s job isn’t to copy Arteta; it’s to adapt those ideas to a club where the dressing room probably doubles as the laundry room. His players fight, scrap, and sometimes misplace passes—but they’re learning. Slowly.
Author’s Take: The Young Philosopher in a Gritty League
Here’s my two cents: Cuesta is precisely what Italian football needs—a little chaos wrapped in conviction. He’s young, ambitious, and unafraid to fail publicly, which already makes him more interesting than half the league’s managers. If Parma stay afloat and play with even a whisper of swagger, that’ll be a victory bigger than any trophy.
Because let’s face it—Serie A doesn’t just need new tactics. It needs new stories. And Carlos Cuesta might just be writing one worth reading.
As featured on GoonerNews.com
