Parma hire 29-year-old Cuesta as youngest Serie A head coach

Parma made 29-year-old Carlos Cuesta the youngest head coach in the history of Serie A on Thursday when they hired the Spaniard to replace Cristian Chivu.

“Parma Calcio are delighted to announce that, as of 1 July, Carlos Cuesta will become manager of the Men’s First Team,” the club announced on their website adding that the coach had signed a two-year contract.

Cuesta arrives from Arsenal, where he had worked as an assistant to Mikel Arteta since 2000. Before that he spent two years in Italy as a youth coach at Juventus.

Cuesta, a native of Mallorca who turns 30 in July, becomes the youngest current coach in any of the ‘Big Five’ European leagues. 

Parma returned to Serie A and were struggling in 18th place when Chivu was appointed in February, after seven years coaching Inter Milan youth teams. In 13 matches in his first senior head coaching job, the Romanian won three, lost three and drew even to guide the club to 16th and Serie A survival.

Chivu left after the season to take over at Inter, where he also spent six seasons as a player.

Cuesta was reportedly prefered to Italians Daniele De Rossi, Alberto Gilardino, and Paolo Vanoli. 

The Serie A season does not start until August 23, but Cuesta is the ninth new coach appointed this summer. Two more of the 20 clubs have unfilled vacancies.