Parma have confirmed they’ve parted ways with former Arsenal assistant manager Carlos Cuesta by mutual agreement, beginning their search for a new head coach.
Parma posted a statement on their club website on Sunday to confirm that Carlos Cuesta is leaving his role as their head coach, following internal talks between player and club.
Those talks reportedly confirmed that the “conditions in order to continue this working relationship and the advancement of the sporting project,were not being met”, and so they ended that relationship by mutual agreement.
Parma have confirmed that training will be lead by the club’s technical staff while the search for a new head coach is ongoing, and they’ve thanked Cuesta and his staff for “their hard work, dedication and professionalism”.
Fabrizio Romano reports that Cuesta is now open to a new challenge, and he received multiple approaches from clubs in France, England, and Portugal over the summer.
Cuesta had initially signed a two-year contract with Parma, with the option for a third. Joining in June 2025, the young manager took over a team that had finished 16th in 2024/25.
Cuesta helped his new side improve their finish to reach 13th in 2025/26, but they’ve won one, drawn one, and lost three of their opening five games of the new season. So whilst some progress has been made, perhaps it wasn’t quite to the level all parties were hoping for.
Cuesta has always spoken positively of his previous spell with Arsenal, telling the media his decision to depart the club in 2025 was “maybe the most difficult decision of my life”.
The coach was particularly close with Mikel Arteta, saying of the Arsenal boss: “He has always been extremely supportive through the whole process and still is. I can’t speak well enough about who he is, not just as a leader and a coach but as a human being.”
Ultimately, the allure of a head coach role was too much for Cuesta, and it seems he’ll look to continue his management career with a new club now.
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