World Cup winner to the rescue! Gilardino takes over at Parma

Parma have moved fast: Alberto Gilardino has agreed to become the club's new head coach, replacing Carlos Cuesta with immediate effect.

Details: According to Fabrizio Romano, the agreement is done and Gilardino will lead the Parma project straight away. The move follows Cuesta's exit by mutual decision after just over a year in charge. The 31 year old Spaniard, a former assistant to Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, had been appointed in June 2025 as Cristian Chivu's successor.

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In Gilardino, Parma turn to a very different profile: a 2006 World Cup winner with Italy and a striker who knew Serie A inside out, now building his reputation in the dugout after his spell at Genoa. The club's hierarchy clearly wanted experience and a strong identity after the Cuesta experiment lost steam. For a historic club like Parma, fighting to reestablish itself among Italy's best, this is a statement appointment that the fans at the Tardini will embrace instantly.

It's worth noting how quickly this saga moved: from Cuesta's departure to a World Cup hero on the bench in a matter of hours. Serie A's coaching carousel spins again, and Parma have chosen romance and pedigree.

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