Udine, 18 April 2026 – Comments from head coach Carlos Cuesta after Udinese vs. Parma, on matchday 33 of the Serie A Enilive season:

“We had some really good spells getting into the other half. What makes the difference is how much the team cares. Before the match even started, Valenti was injured, and Ndiaye hadn’t played since November against Milan. He came on for 70 minutes, and the whole team was ready to help him. Minute 45, half-time, Pellegrino comes off because he gave everything to win a header that then earned us a corner. Nesta comes on and makes an immediate impact. I wasn’t in the dressing room, but they told me Pellegrino celebrated Nesta’s goal like crazy. He’s his teammate but also his rival. That shows the value of this group: turning every difficulty into an opportunity. When you have that, you’re closer to doing the right thing, and the results follow.

There’s still a long way to go. In these last five games, we want to keep improving, but I’m really proud of the team’s mentality and passion. We want to build a connection with our fans; everything we do is to make them proud, and above all, they help us so much. Against Napoli, they helped us massively; the lads were struggling physically, but still put in a great performance.

We’re already turning our focus to Pisa tomorrow. All eyes may be on Pisa, but we’re focused on constant improvement. Elphege? Against Napoli, he had the right mindset coming on, he made himself appreciated by his teammates, he kept working even when he didn’t get opportunities, and that’s a message for everyone in the group. You have to be ready, because the opportunity comes, and you must be ready for it. The true winners are the players. I just try to help them, or at least not get in their way. There are still 15 points to play for; we have to stay on our path and keep improving. I saw many positive things in the performance, which pleases me. The big difference is in the mentality, which gives us a better chance of achieving positive results and overcoming difficulties like we did today. That shows how much the lads care. Criticism of our style of play? There are things you can’t control, so I don’t dwell on that. I listen, analyse, take on board what I think is valid, and from there set the direction that can help the team most. I think these lads deserve so much, because what they’re doing has great value. But it’s not enough for us. We have five games left and every day we represent Parma, and with the mentality of top professionals, we want to give more.”