In a historic appointment that has shaken Italian football, Carlos Cuesta became the youngest head coach in Serie A since 1939 when he took charge of Parma in June, just before his 30th birthday. The Spaniard's remarkable ascent, which saw him spend five formative years as an assistant to Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, represents one of the most intriguing managerial stories of the season.
The Agonising Decision to Leave Arsenal
For Cuesta, the call from the historic Emilia-Romagna club presented a profound professional and personal crossroads. Leaving Arsenal was, in his own words, "maybe the most difficult decision of my life." He had been "incredibly happy" in North London, embedded in a project that was "only growing and growing" under the guidance of Arteta, a figure he describes as an "incredible person" and mentor.
"I was surrounded by incredible people in an incredible project," Cuesta reflected. "Not only with great players... but with a person who has been incredibly important for me, which is Mikel." Despite the allure of continuing with the Premier League leaders, the opportunity to carve his own path at a club with Parma's storied legacy proved irresistible. Arteta, supportive as ever, did not stand in his way.
A Coaching Prodigy's Unconventional Journey
Cuesta's coaching journey began extraordinarily early. By the age of 15, he was already guiding youth players at his local club, Santa Catalina Atlético in Mallorca, where his mother ran the café. He has now been coaching for half of his life. A self-described footballer who "was on the pitch but not making a difference," he found his true calling in analysis and leadership.
His academic pursuit of sports science in Madrid was complemented by proactive networking, largely through social media, which led to a role in Atlético Madrid's academy. He later described this period as his "real university." A subsequent move to Juventus, where he worked with their youth teams from the age of 22, served as his "master's," honing a meticulous attention to tactical and defensive detail.
Building Trust at Arsenal and Facing the Parma Challenge
His big break came with the call from Arteta at Arsenal. Starting as an individual development coach, the then-25-year-old had to earn the trust of a seasoned dressing room. His method was one of observation and value-added intervention. "When the player feels you can add value, and that you’re a good person with honesty, good intentions and good values, they follow and respect you," he explained. A clip from the club's All or Nothing documentary, showing him working with defender Ben White, offered the public a glimpse of his impactful, detailed approach.
Now at Parma, he oversees the third-youngest squad in Europe's top five leagues. The challenge is immense, battling to keep the club clear of the Serie A relegation zone. He acknowledges the need for pragmatism over pure idealism, a lesson undoubtedly reinforced under Arteta. "It’s not always possible to do what you like, but you always have to do what is needed," Cuesta stated, emphasising flexibility and maximising available resources.
His relative youth may foster empathy with his squad, but his focus is on forging a "competitive mindset" to overcome adversity. Away from the pitch, Cuesta is a voracious reader, drawing philosophical insights from texts like the Tao Te Ching and Phil Jackson's Sacred Hoops. For now, his world is intensely present-focused. "The only thing I have is the present," he said. "In this job you need to reframe 'time'. For me, time right now means today is my everything." The beaches of the Maldives, a joking reference to a manager's potential exile, seem a galaxy away from the intense pressure and promise of his historic role in Serie A.
