No matter your view on the legality of Mariano Troilo’s winner as Parma beat Milan 1-0 at San Siro, one factor is past dispute, it was no accident.
The positioning of Lautaro Valenti in entrance of Mike Maignan was fastidiously choreographed, and the person behind that choreography has a really specific supply of inspiration.
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Carlos Cuesta spent 5 years as Mikel Arteta’s assistant at between 2020 and 2025, and through that point he would have labored intently alongside Nicolas Jover, the set-piece coach Arteta dropped at the membership in 2021 who has since develop into one of the vital influential figures in trendy soccer.
PARMA, ITALY – NOVEMBER 08: Carlos Cuesta, Head Coach of Parma, seems on previous to the Serie A match between Parma Calcio 1913 and AC Milan at Stadio Ennio Tardini on November 08, 2025 in Parma, Italy. (Picture by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Pictures)
Milan 0-1 Parma – How Cuesta drew inspiration from Arsenal to safe large win
Jover’s nook routines have been extensively credited as a major weapon in Arsenal’s armoury, with the Gunners having scored 19 set-piece objectives throughout all competitions by late January.
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The precept is easy however devastatingly efficient: flood the six-yard field and the close to submit, make life as troublesome as doable for the goalkeeper, and function proper on the sting of what the legal guidelines allow.
It seems Cuesta was paying shut consideration. Even Allegri’s assistant .
“They’re semi-blocks that don’t get whistled,” he mentioned. “He was positioned there intentionally to play the ball to the far submit.”
MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 22: Mariano Troilo,Edoardo Corvi and Emanuele Valeri of Parma Calcio celebrates the victory on the finish of the Serie A match between AC Milan and Parma Calcio 1913 at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Picture by Marco Luzzani/Getty Pictures)
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Cuesta himself was refreshingly candid: “After we work on set-pieces, we attempt to have gamers prepared to attain.”
It’s a good adaptation from a coach who has impressed all through his debut Serie A marketing campaign, ditching any ideological rigidity in favour of pragmatism and dealing intelligently with the gamers at his disposal.
Whether or not Valenti crossed the road of legality is a debate for the referees. What isn’t up for debate is that Parma got here to San Siro with a plan, and it labored.