Parma Calcio part ways with head coach Carlos Cuesta after five Serie A games

Mutual termination after internal review

Parma Calcio 1913 officially announced on Sunday, 27 September 2026, that head coach Carlos Cuesta has departed the club by mutual consent. The resolution followed an internal meeting between club executives and the 31-year-old Spanish manager to assess the ongoing trajectory of the sporting project. In an official communication published on the club's website, Parma explained that the necessary conditions to continue the professional relationship were no longer present. Club president Kyle J. Krause, chief executive officer Federico Cherubini, and the sporting department expressed their gratitude to Cuesta and his technical staff for their daily dedication and wished them success in their future endeavours. The team's scheduled training session on Monday afternoon, 28 September, will be overseen by the club's internal technical staff while the leadership conducts the search for a permanent successor.

Following an internal discussion between the club and the coach, it was agreed that the conditions no longer existed between the parties to continue the professional relationship, in particular regarding the development of the sporting project.

Performance record and tactical friction

Cuesta arrived at Parma in the summer of 2025 as a direct appointment by president Kyle J. Krause to replace Cristian Chivu, having previously served as an assistant coach to Mikel Arteta at Arsenal. During his first season in Italian football, the Spanish coach guided the Emilia-Romagna club to a 13th-place finish in Serie A, securing mathematical safety with a comfortable margin ahead of the relegation zone. That performance earned Cuesta a contract extension during the summer of 2026 before entering his second campaign at the Stadio Ennio Tardini. However, the 2026–2027 season began with mixed results on the pitch, yielding four points from the opening five league rounds through one victory, one draw, and three defeats. The decision to part ways arrived shortly after a 2–1 home victory against Genoa (one source noted Venezia), a match that initially appeared to stabilize the manager's standing before unresolved strategic disagreements over squad development prompted the separation.

Candidate evaluation during the international break

The departure occurs at the start of a two-week international break, allowing the Parma board adequate time to install a new manager before the resumption of Serie A fixtures. Former Parma head coach Roberto D'Aversa, who managed Torino during the previous campaign and is currently unattached, represents one of the primary candidates under evaluation by the club hierarchy. Alberto Gilardino is also on the shortlist after leaving Pisa, offering familiarity with the club where he developed as a youth player. Croatian manager Igor Tudor has also surfaced among potential options, though he is reportedly taking time to assess multiple career possibilities. The club stated that it has not yet finalized a choice and remains open to alternative profiles as discussions proceed over the international window.

Broader coaching changes across Serie A

Cuesta's departure marks the third head coaching change in Serie A during the opening five rounds of the 2026–2027 season. The separation follows earlier dismissals at Fiorentina, where Fabio Grosso left his post, and at Bologna, where Domenico Tedesco was relieved of his duties. Parma currently sit in 15th place in the 20-team table, remaining within a crowded group of clubs managing the early battle against relegation. The two-week hiatus in the domestic schedule gives the incoming coach time on the training ground to implement tactical adjustments before competitive league fixtures resume.