Carlos Cuesta says goodbye to Arsenal | OneFootball

Parma bound Spaniard leaves after five influential years under Arteta

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Carlos Cuesta has confirmed his departure from Arsenal, ending a five-year spell as one of Mikel Arteta’s most trusted lieutenants to take over as head coach at Parma.

The 29-year-old Spaniard will become the youngest manager in Serie A history since the league adopted a single division in 1929.

Cuesta’s move comes after Cristian Chivu‘s exit and is understood to have been personally driven by Parma president Kyle Krause, who has prioritised recruiting progressive coaches with tactical clarity and developmental focus. Cuesta fits that brief, despite never having held a senior managerial role before.

Final details of his contract are expected to be confirmed imminently, with local reports suggesting a two-year deal worth just under £850,000 per season has already been agreed.

Taking to Instagram to bid farewell, Cuesta wrote, “After five beautiful years it’s hard to put this into words, but I can only express how grateful I am for having lived my day-to-day with such special people and feel what it means to represent this football club, with its incredible history and values.

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“The only thing I’ve ever tried to do was give everything I had inside of me every single day. I was inspired by the culture that was created, by the hunger of every person of the organisation and by the unity that we had in any situation that we had to face.

“It has been a privilege to have had the chance to work with the players, staff, directors and all the employees of the club and at the same time, to receive an extra push from our amazing fans in every match.

“Because of the quality of its people, I’m convinced that the best moments for this football club are still yet to come. Enjoy the journey, because it is a very exciting one. Thank you Arsenal.”

Highly rated for his communication, tactical detail and work ethic, Cuesta joined Arsenal in 2020 after spells with Atlético Madrid and Juventus’s under-17 side. He is fluent in six languages and has long been viewed as a future head coach, both inside Arsenal and beyond.

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Sources close to the negotiation say Parma’s chief executive Federico Cherubini and sporting director Alessandro Pettina were impressed during initial discussions and backed Cuesta’s candidacy after a series of interviews. The club’s hierarchy believe the methods developed at Arsenal under Arteta are transferable to a Parma side aiming for stability and upward momentum in Serie A.

Cuesta will be expected to implement a possession-oriented style focused on youth development, mirroring many of the principles he helped instil in North London. His appointment follows a precedent set when Krause hired Enzo Maresca directly from Manchester City‘s bench in 2021. That project lasted just four months, but Parma appear more confident in Cuesta’s fit and long-term potential.