PISA, ITALY – OCTOBER 30: Pisa Sporting Club manager Alberto Gilardino watches the Serie A match between Pisa SC and SS Lazio at the Garibaldi Arena on October 30, 2025 in Pisa, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
Parma have moved quickly to identify Carlos Cuesta’s successor, with Alberto Gilardino the main name on the shortlist.
According to Alfredo Peduladirect contact has been made. The obstacle is Gilardino’s existing contract at Pisa, which he would need to terminate before any move can be made, but Ducali sees him as a realistic option rather than a speculative one.
Gilardino was also a candidate for Parma last time
This is not the first time Parma has considered him. When Cristian Chivu left Inter Milan, Gilardino was one of those players and the vacancy ended up going to Cuesta.
This appointment always carries with it a degree of risk. Cuesta arrived without any senior managerial experience, having spent four years under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal and was just 29 when Parma hired him. The club’s statement on Sunday blamed the split on disagreements over the direction of the sport rather than results, with reports in Italy suggesting the friction dates back to the start of the season.
Gilardino represents the opposite: a coach who kept Genoa in Serie A for two seasons before being sacked and who knows this level well.
Parma’s technical staff will oversee training on Monday while the club makes appointments.