Parma has terminated its managerial partnership with Carlos Cuesta just five games into the 2025 Serie A season, with the Italian club confirming the split as a "shared decision" on Sunday. Following constructive discussions between the organization and the 31-year-old Spanish tactician, both parties concluded that the conditions necessary to maintain their professional relationship had deteriorated, particularly regarding the trajectory of the sporting project. The move marks a dramatic conclusion to what was meant to be a fresh chapter at the Emilia-Romagna side.
Cuesta arrived at Parma in 2025 as a first-time senior manager, inheriting the role on a two-year contract from Cristian Chivu, who subsequently took the helm at Inter Milan. Before stepping into management, the Spaniard served as an assistant coach at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta, gaining valuable experience at one of England's most ambitious clubs. His appointment had been viewed as a promising investment in emerging coaching talent, making the rapid deterioration of circumstances all the more striking.
The termination came just days after Parma secured their first victory of the league campaign, a 2-1 home triumph over Genoa that offered a glimmer of hope for the struggling outfit. Despite that positive result, the club sits precariously in 15th place after five rounds of fixtures, a positioning that evidently failed to inspire confidence in the long-term viability of the managerial setup. In his departure statement on Instagram, Cuesta reflected on his time at the club, stating: "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," before emphasizing the collective effort, noting "We were a united family that fought until the very last minute to achieve what we always wanted: to win."
With Cuesta's tenure concluded, Parma will rely on its coaching staff to oversee Monday's training session while the club pursues a suitable replacement for the head coaching position. The search for a new permanent manager will prove critical as Parma attempts to reverse its fortunes and climb the Serie A table in the coming weeks.