Chelsea FC secures Bernardo Cueva as set-piece coach
Chelsea Football Club has secured a vital addition to their coaching staff, with the acquisition of Bernardo Cueva from Brentford. The 36-year-old, who initially joined Brentford as a tactical statistician, will now bring his expertise in set-piece strategies to Stamford Bridge.
‘We work a lot on set-pieces. After that, it is about the quality of the player. It is about the takers,’ said Pochettino.
‘We don’t have a specialist. Maybe Chilly [Ben Chilwell] is good in the delivery but after that, we don’t have a specialist. If you want to be good at set-pieces, we work a lot. But then you need good takers.
‘When you have good takers, and of course, Wolves have good takers, and like Manchester City have or other clubs. It is not down to the work. We work similarly. But the problem is to have good takers.
‘We have specialists [coaches]. We are a coaching staff in charge of everything. You can have a specialist and you can promote the specialist. Or you can have the specialist and not promote the specialist. It depends how you want to sell the idea of working on set-pieces.
‘We have a specialist, we have a group of analysts for set-pieces, we have the coaching staff and we work a lot. And then it is about the quality. At the moment, we were talking about trying to find a good specialist [player] for next season.
Cueva’s journey from Chivas to Brentford showcased his commitment to tactical analysis and improvement. Now, with Mauricio Pochettino’s support, he is poised to make a significant impact at Chelsea.
Despite previous comments downplaying the role of set-piece coaches, Pochettino’s backing indicates the value he sees in Cueva’s skills.
‘Look before at West Ham and after. What changed? After and before? It’s not the same. The taker is [James] Ward-Prowse. Or he is Pochettino, no? Prowsey is a much better taker than me. For sure, you can work, like West Ham were working. But now, you add a player like him, you increase the percentage. That is football. Football belongs to the players. Not to the specialists.’
The move signals Chelsea’s dedication to refining every aspect of their game, recognizing the importance of set-pieces in modern football.
As the season progresses, anticipation builds around how Cueva’s insights will enhance Chelsea’s performance on dead-ball situations, potentially providing them with a crucial edge in key matches.
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