FP
Fakayejo Paul
Parma have officially reached a total agreement with Alberto Gilardino to take over as their new head coach with immediate effect, replacing former Arsenal assistant Carlos Cuesta.
Cuesta parted ways with the club by mutual consent following a difference in strategic views regarding the direction of the sporting project, opening the door for Gilardino’s return to the Stadio Ennio Tardini.
Key Context & Emotional Return
- Hero’s Homecoming:Gilardino, a 2006 World Cup winner with Italy, returns to Parma where he previously scored 56 goals in 116 appearances as a fan-favorite striker between 2002 and 2005.
- Immediate Assignment:The former Genoa and Pisa manager steps straight into the dugout with Parma sitting on 4 points from their opening five Serie A fixtures.His first test will be a formidable trip to face Inter Milan.
- Profile Shift:The appointment signals a turn toward tactical experience in Serie A following the departure of 31-year-old Cuesta, who had successfully kept Parma in the top flight last season during his first senior head-coaching stint.