Alberto Gilardino’s Last Chance: The Former Star’s Stock Is Rising in Parma

Alberto Gilardino’s position as coach is starting to look shaky. The Biella-born coach, who took over at Parma to replace Carlos Cuesta, has not yet managed to turn things around, and Wednesday, October 28’s match against Udinese, scheduled at the Tardini, could prove decisive for his future.

The results from the first three matches are particularly dismal: zero points earned, just one goal scored, and eight conceded. Gilardino made his debut with a 3-0 loss at San Siro against Inter, before suffering another heavy 3-0 defeat in front of his home crowd against Torino. In the most recent matchday, the team suffered its third consecutive loss, this time a 2-1 defeat on the road against Lazio.

These results cannot fail to worry the Emilia-based club, which must now assess an increasingly complicated situation in the standings. The coaching change, at least for the moment, has not produced the hoped-for results, and the pressure on the former national team forward has inevitably increased.

An immediate response will be needed against Udinese. Another loss would risk making Gilardino’s position even more precarious, as he is already facing a very delicate phase of his tenure on the Gialloblù bench. It’s unlikely that Cuesta will be recalled, even though he’s still on the payroll: should another dismissal occur, the names being mentioned are Roberto D’Aversa or, alternatively, Paolo Zanetti.