Collecchio, 11 April, 2026 -

Head coach Carlos Cuesta spoke during his press conference at the Mutti Training Centre in Collecchio. Parma face Napoli on Matchday 32.

WE WILL PLAY TO WIN

'We go into every game aiming to win, with maximum humility but also full belief. We want to deliver a performance with awareness, courage, and personality, and give everything we’ve got. Football can often come down to fine details, which can be unpredictable, so we need to read the game well and steer it in our direction. Every match can be won. A false nine? I like having 11 truly committed players on the pitch, and that will be the case tomorrow. The striker’s profile can vary. I do like the false nine, but I also value players who attack space. We have different options and possibilities, and over the season we’ve done many different things, making the most of the team’s versatility. Tomorrow we’ll choose the best eleven to make a positive impact, and we’ll also have players ready on the bench to come on and make a difference. Mikolajewski? He’ll definitely be with us in the squad. As for whether he starts or comes on, we’ll see, there are still more than 24 hours to go. He’s a proper player, and even those unavailable are players who can have a positive impact.'

HOW PARMA SHAPE UP

'Almqvist and Troilo are back, with Troilo already available. Ondrejka is still a doubt after a bit of discomfort this week, so we’ll see if he’s fit. Frigan and Cremaschi are out. Even without Pellegrino, you’ll see a Parma side with the same approach in attack and defence. I’m confident the team will have the ideas, the desire, and the quality to take on a tough opponent. We’ve had a really good week of work. The team reacted well after a difficult moment with a strong performance against Lazio. I never had any doubts, they care and know how to respond. Now it’s about building consistency and staying competitive. Nicolussi Caviglia and Bernabé together? It’s an important option depending on what we want from the game. We’ve got a midfield with different qualities, and they complement each other well. They both work hard defensively and are true team players. Against Lazio, they helped improve our build-up and ball progression. Tomorrow we’ll face a very aggressive side, so we’ll need quality and courage, especially under pressure, to make the most of our strengths and play well.'

RECONNECTING WITH THE FANS AT THE TARDINI

'We try to learn from every experience. This group always looks to push forward and improve. The last time at the Tardini was disappointing, and the fans made their feelings clear, and rightly so. We’ve analysed why that happened. We know we’re not perfect, we make mistakes, and sometimes we fall short but never because we don’t want to represent Parma in the best possible way. Tomorrow is an opportunity: to come together, to compete together, to put in a big performance and bring the fans with us. We’re sure they’ll come to the Tardini ready to support us, and we want to share a great Sunday together.'

IMPROVING THE PRESENT TO BUILD THE FUTURE

'I feel privileged to be where I am and I’m really happy to work with everyone at the club from the directors to the staff and the players. There’s still a long way to go, seven games left, and in football that’s a lot, so our focus has to be on the present. The best way to build the future is by improving what we do now. Right now, we’re focused on putting in a strong performance against Napoli and taking points. I want us to keep evolving and help the team as much as possible, building on our strengths while continuing to grow. We’ve already seen progress in recent performances, like against Lazio, where we improved our build-up, ball progression and attacking play. That’s the direction we want to keep going in. I’d like us to become a complete team that's solid whether we’re defending deep or pressing high. We want to be a side that can build from the back to attack open spaces, but also break teams down when they sit deep. Modern football demands that you have solutions for everything, and that’s something I really believe in. We’re constantly working to improve and evolve.'

A STRONG NAPOLI SIDE

'How do you beat Napoli? They’re a top side - unbeaten in five and they haven’t conceded in over a month. They play with great intensity and have real quality all over the pitch. They’re also a different team from the one we faced earlier in the season. We’ll need a similar approach to the Lazio game, build on our strengths and keep improving. We have to be sharper going forward and raise the quality of our attacking play, so we can spend less time defending and cause Napoli more problems.'