Collecchio, January 10, 2026 – Carlos Cuesta spoke in his press conference ahead of Parma vs Lecce on matchday 20 of Serie in the press room of the Mutti Training Centre.
THE BATTLE AGAINST LECCE
‘Every game is really important, when you’re playing a match like this it’s essential to get a result. And that’s what we will try to do. Putting out a strong performance will help us achieve this. Tomorrow we need to be ready for a tough game when required, to be aggressive at the right moments, to be sharp and clean when we have the ball, and play well to get a result. And when I say ‘play well’, I mean in every phase of the game, not just when we have the ball. The game in the first half of the season? I have rewatched it several times. And there were about twenty minutes where they managed to take control of the game and play it the way they wanted. That’s when they scored. We were good at the start, but then we lacked the ability to create chances, we only did so in the last fifteen minutes. But tomorrow I’m expecting a different game, four months later. Some of the team dynamics are very similar, but what needs to be different is the result. Minutes for those who didn’t play on Wednesday? Yes, potentially. Valenti? Hopefully, or any others who didn’t play. We’ll see what decisions we make tomorrow.’
WHAT IS NEEDED ON THE PITCH
‘Concentration, humility, awareness and clarity. It’s something that happens to us quite often, in almost every game. In the second half against Pisa, and again in the second half against Fiorentina, even though we won, there were moments that weren’t the way we wanted them to be. We were humble and played the right kind of game. Tomorrow we need to be fully focused and really determined to get the result. An assessment of the first half of the season? I didn’t have any expectations, now my focus is entirely on the present. The priority is preparing this match over the next 24 hours and then going out tomorrow to do what we want to do. I’m convinced we will give 100%, as we do in every game.’
THE TRANSFER MARKET
‘We are focusing on raising our level, individually and collectively. There are moments when situations arrise, sometimes I do things well and need to attack, other times I make mistakes and I have to defend. Take Wednesday as an example: we managed to win the ball back, but in that moment we didn’t find the right pass to turn it into a two-on-two situation. It looked like we were being proactive, but there was more we could have done. At every level, we’re trying to improve internally, the club, the staff, and myself first and foremost. We know the path we need to follow to achieve consistent results. Do we need signings from the transfer market to improve? I have players I need to develop, and that’s always my focus. My job is to give my best to help the players improve, to help the team achieve better results and play better football.’
ONDREJKA
‘Could Ondrejka have done more in the chance that hit the post? I spoke to him, not just about that specific moment, but as part of a broader analysis of key aspects we focus on in his individual development, which then reflects on us collectively as a team. Looking at Wednesday’s match, the intention is always the best one. You try to do the right things on the pitch, and when you make decisions, you’re always thinking of what’s best. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. What we definitely need to improve is our level of intensity and aggression, as well as our technical sharpness, because in moments like that, those qualities can help you unlock the game. The intention is always there: the desire to give everything never changes. He has it, and so do all the others.’
CUTRONE & CREMASCHI
‘Cutrone? I expect him to train very well and make the most of every opportunity on the pitch. Every minute, every second, every action matters. What I expect from all my players when they’re on the field is to give their absolute best. Cremaschi? He trains and plays in different roles, as a central midfielder and out wide. He works with us in that area of the pitch, as a box-to-box midfielder who can push forward, playing more inside. He’s comfortable on the left and the right, which is why we mainly use him there.’
