Milan 0-1 Parma – Cuesta: ‘Our thoughts are with Loftus-Cheek, we try to be ready to score from set-pieces’

Carlos Cuesta cut a composed and measured figure at San Siro after Parma pulled off a stunning 1-0 victory over Milan, one of the most eye-catching results of the Serie A weekend.

But before reflecting on a famous win, with quotes via MilanNews, the Parma head coach made a point of directing his thoughts toward Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who had been forced off during the first half.

“I want to talk about Loftus-Cheek first, I hope he is okay and our thoughts are with him,” he said, setting the tone for an interview that was as gracious as it was assured.

Cuesta was quick to credit the collective defensive effort that made the result possible.

Milan 0-1 Parma – Cuesta praises Gialloblu concentration

Keeping Milan at bay at San Siro for 90 minutes is no small feat, and the coach acknowledged just how demanding the task was.

“It is not easy to remain concentrated for that many minutes against such a strong team, in a stadium like this,” he said.

“They were always going to dominate possession, so we had to stay organised, and the mentality this squad showed was incredible.”

The winning goal, which came from a set-piece, was no coincidence according to the Spaniard.

“When we work on dead balls, we try to have players ready to score,” he explained, suggesting Valenti’s positioning had been carefully planned in the build-up to the game.

Despite three consecutive victories, Cuesta was in no mood to get carried away. He was quick to remind reporters that Parma had lost to both Juventus and Atalanta just a fortnight ago, and that neither the defeats then nor the wins now define the squad.

“The game changes quickly,” he said. “We are the same team. What depends on us is the quality of our work, we must do it more and better.”