Collecchio, 23 September 2025 – Parma coach Carlos Cuestaspoke to the club’s official YouTube channel on the eve of the Coppa Italia Frecciarossa Round of 32 tie against Spezia. 

Ahead of Parma vs. Spezia, let me go back to something you said as soon as you sat down this evening: 'today is my everything'. You were referring to the Coppa Italia: just how much does this competition mean for Parma, at this point of the season?

“Tomorrow’s game is our absolute focus. We want to start a positive run at the Tardini in front of our fans, and this is an important opportunity to do that. Our aim is to progress in the cup and deliver a strong performance.” 

Before the match with Pescara, you said the Coppa Italia has great value for the Club and for you. There’s Bologna, the defending champions, waiting in the next round…

“Right now we’re fully focused on tomorrow. We want to perform well so we can get to that position – that’s where we want to be. Of course, it would be a great challenge, but the priority is to earn that chance with a big performance against Spezia.” 

Usually in these situations, for a midweek match, people often talk about turnover. Do you like that word?

“In Italy there’s often talk about turnover for midweek matches. For us, tomorrow we’ll put out the players we feel are best prepared to deliver the strongest performance. Every player is ready to contribute, whether it’s for 60 minutes, 90 minutes, or just one. The focus is always on adding value – whether starting or finishing the match.'

Let’s get into the technical side of what we’ll see tomorrow at the Tardini: what kind of Spezia are you expecting?

“I expect an aggressive Spezia that will press high, and compact defensively when they sit in their own half. They’re a side with experience, physical strength, and the ability to play both directly and through build up. They know how to attack the box, from set pieces or in open play. They’re led by a very capable coach with a strong track record. It will be a tough match – we approach it with respect but also with the determination to play our game and get the result we want.” 

You’ve talked about a big performance – so what kind of Parma will we see?

“I want to see a compact, aggressive, dynamic team, playing with courage and always pushing to express itself fully in order to win.” 

It's been a month since the win against Pescara, a month of intense and continuous work. What kind of response are you expecting from your Parma against Spezia tomorrow?

“Tomorrow I expect to see evidence of that strengthened foundation, a consolidation of what we've done before: a team capable of defending well in both low and high blocks, of building under pressure, of breaking down deep defences, and always maintaining the same objective, which is to give our maximum in every situation and find solutions to whatever context the game presents.”