Collecchio, 7 March 2026 - Carlos Cuesta spoke in the Press Conference Room of the Mutti Training Centre ahead of matchday 28 of Serie A, in which Parma face Fiorentina.
COMPACT, UNITED, SOLID AND ORGANISED
“I expect us to be ourselves tomorrow in Florence. We need to be a compact, united, solid and well-organised team. When we have the ball, we must play with quality and hurt the opponent in every possible way - in transition, in positional attacks and from set pieces. We have to show the best version of ourselves, knowing how important this match is. It’s a crucial game and three very important points for us. We need to approach it with the same mentality this team has shown, and must continue to show, every time we step onto the pitch. Parma are not any easier because of their position in the table. That shouldn’t change our attitude or our approach. They have a clear identity and focus on strong performances and results. They attack well through wide triangles, build good combinations, threaten in behind, make strong runs into the box and defend with aggression, because they believe that’s what brings them results. It goes beyond the table. You have to do what you believe is right. We never go into a game lightly or use absences as an excuse. We always aim to win points, and to do that, we must do the right things well, respecting Fiorentina’s quality. If we are at our best, we can compete with anyone.”
OUR PHILOSOPHY
“We’re not going to experiment. The choices we make are things we’ve already used in matches or trained on the pitch, they’re already part of our identity and our habits. One thing is clear: we have to be ready for games that last 100 minutes. They’re long, and in modern football you have five substitutions that allow you to change half your players and that gives you real flexibility. When you prepare for a match, you can't predict the game. Events shape the game. You only have real certainty once you’re in it - right now, talking about it is all theoretical. But once the game starts, you can make concrete decisions. We’ve shown many times that we can adapt and change when needed. This team has great adaptability and flexibility, and we need to value that. We have to value every moment of the game. In recent matches, the impact of the players coming off the bench has been very important. Whatever system we use, a back four or a back five, we must be ready to compete at our best tomorrow in Florence. The debate about corner kicks? Tomorrow Valenti won’t be there, so there won’t be any debate.”
SQUAD UPDATES
“We’re not recovering any players compared to those who were already out. Only Ndiaye has trained with the team, but he’s not ready to be part of the squad yet. After such a long injury, he needs to continue his individual programme until he’s fully ready to play. Valenti is suspended and unavailable, while Bernabé has been dealing with a recurring minor issue, and won’t be available for the match. What exactly is the problem? It’s an issue with his psoas muscle, something he’s been managing for a long time. He has done everything he could to continue playing, pushing through until he simply couldn’t go on. During the week, the pain worsened and he’s not fit to play. That said, we have a very competitive squad. Every player pushes for a place and makes it difficult for the coach when it comes to selection. Tomorrow we go to Florence with the right mindset, focused on doing our job and bringing home points. Will Adrian be available for Torino? We don’t know yet, it depends on how his recovery progresses.”
FROM GOALKEEPER TO ATTACK
“Suzuki or Corvi? The decision has been made - not shared, but it has been made. We have to recognise that Zion suffered a complicated injury and needs to continue his recovery and preparation in the best possible way. While he was out, our two other goalkeepers performed at a very high level. Now we’re fortunate to have three goalkeepers competing at a strong level, and ultimately, it’s up to the coach to decide who plays. Troilo continuing after San Siro? It was the right choice at the time, but eight days have passed. Now our focus is on Fiorentina and on what we need to do to take points home. Ondrejka? It was a technical decision. He warmed up against Cagliari. In the end, choosing one player over another depends on how the match unfolds, on what feels right in the game. Sorensen and Ordonez? They’re different players. Sorensen has good timing for runs into the box, he can score goals and he brings effort and sacrifice. Ordonez also works hard, but he’s more of a playmaker. Even if they play in similar positions, they offer different qualities. We make our choices based on the type of game we want to play. Strefezza? He can play more centrally or out wide. If he drifts to the left, we become more balanced. He has a strong sense of space and knows how and when to hurt the opponent. Our system gives him freedom to read situations. He has played both inside and wide before. He can help us move the ball forward and create more danger.”
FIORENTINA'S GROWTH
“They’re a team that has improved a lot, especially after playing against us. That’s when they started using certain patterns and dynamics that have helped them get positive results, and they’ve been doing well over the past two months. They have great individual quality, and as a team, their identity is very clear and precise. This is a side that competes in Europe at a high level. We know that to take points, we’ll need to work hard, stay focused, and play as a unit. Kean in the lineup? We know they have plenty of options, and we’ll do our best to be ready for any scenario.”
