Mutual agreement after five matches

Parma Calcio 1913 announced on Sunday, 27 September 2026, that head coach Carlos Cuesta has left his role following a shared internal decision. The 31-year-old Spaniard departed after the club collected four points from their opening five Serie A matches, including three defeats and a 2-1 home victory over Genoa. Club management stated that the conditions required to advance the sporting project were no longer in place. President Kyle J. Krause and Chief Executive Officer Federico Cherubini released a statement expressing appreciation for Cuesta and his technical staff. Training on Monday afternoon will be overseen by Parma's internal technical staff while the club searches for a permanent successor.

“Following an internal discussion between the club and the coach, it was agreed that the parties no longer had the necessary conditions to continue their professional relationship, particularly regarding the development of the sporting project.”

Cuesta's tenure and background

Cuesta was appointed in June 2025 on a two-year contract, replacing Cristian Chivu, who subsequently took over at Inter Milan. At the time of his hiring, just ahead of his 30th birthday, Cuesta became the youngest head coach across Europe's top five domestic leagues. In his only full campaign at the club, he led Parma to a 13th-place finish, 14 points behind the European qualification positions. Before moving to Italy, Cuesta spent five years at Arsenal as an assistant to Mikel Arteta from August 2020, following earlier youth coaching roles at Atletico Madrid and Juventus with their under-17 squad. In a farewell message published on Instagram, Cuesta reflected on his year and a half in charge of the Emilia-Romagna club.

“It has been an intense year and a half during which I gave my all, right up until the very last day, for a team and a club to which I have become deeply attached.”

Coaching turnover in Serie A

Cuesta's departure represents the third managerial change across Serie A through the first five rounds of the season. Fiorentina made the initial change after matchday three, replacing Fabio Grosso with Paolo Vanoli. Bologna executed the second coaching switch after matchday four, bringing in Raffaele Palladino to replace Domenico Tedesco. Parma currently sit 15th in the Serie A standings and will play their next league fixture on 10 October 2026 away against defending champions Inter Milan following the international break. The next appointment will mark the eighth head coach in seven seasons under the ownership of Kyle Krause.

1. Matchday 3Paolo Vanoli replaces Fabio Grosso at Fiorentina
2. Matchday 4Raffaele Palladino replaces Domenico Tedesco at Bologna
3. Matchday 5Carlos Cuesta and Parma part ways by mutual agreement

Succession candidates

Club directors have begun evaluating candidates to fill the managerial vacancy during the two-week international break. Sky Sport reported that former Parma striker Alberto Gilardino is considered a leading contender, though he must first resolve his contractual status with Pisa following his dismissal there last season. Other names under consideration include Roberto D'Aversa, who managed Torino last season, and Paolo Zanetti. Igor Tudor and Stefano Pioli have also been mentioned in Italian media reports, though both unattached coaches are assessing options at clubs with higher competitive targets. The club has not ruled out an internal appointment promoting Nicola Corrent from the Primavera youth squad.