Former Arsenal assistant coach Carlos Cuesta says leaving the club was the toughest decision of his life, particularly as it meant parting ways with Mikel Arteta.Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Image...
Former Arsenal assistant coach Carlos Cuesta says leaving the club was the toughest decision of his life, particularly as it meant parting ways with Mikel Arteta.
Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images
30-year-old Carlos Cuesta has already had a busy career in football coaching for his age, spending just under five years working alongside Mikel Arteta at Arsenal following spells with the academies of Atletico Madrid and Juventus.
Cuesta’s time in north London ended this summer, when he made the decision to take up an offer to become Parma’s head coach in Serie A.
Reflecting back on that switch, the former Arsenal assistant admitted it wasn’t an easy call for him to make.
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“It was maybe the most difficult decision of my life,” Cuesta said. “I was incredibly happy at Arsenal, surrounded by incredible people in an incredible project.
“Not only with great players and a path that is only growing and growing, but with a person who has been incredibly important for me, which is Mikel.
“An incredible person. 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.”
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As for why Cuesta ultimately decided to join Parma, he revealed that it was about forging a new path with a club he believes in. After five years playing second fiddle to Arteta, you can understand wanting the opportunity to take the lead.
“I needed to consider a lot of things but in the end I had a great feeling with the people at Parma,” Cuesta explained. “It’s an amazing, historic club. You can feel there has been success here and, at the same time, there have been many ups and downs.
“Right now, we are trying to create our own path and our own chapter.”
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Parma had a mixed start to the season, initially struggling to put many wins on the board in Serie A. But the team have been doing better lately, winning three of their last five to push themselves five points clear of the relegation zone in 15th.
Given Parma have a game in hand on three of the teams below them, they could extend that lead to at least six points with a win in their extra fixture.
The team also had an encouraging Coppa Italia run, beating Pescara and Spezia Calcio and only being knocked out in heartbreaking fashion thanks to an 89th-minute Bologna winner in the round of 16.
There’s a long way to go in Cuesta’s first campaign, but if he can keep Parma clear of the relegation zone and improving until May that would be a good start to his managerial career.
Category: General Sports
