Bernardo Cueva
{{Short description|Mexican association football manager (born 1987)}}
Bernardo Cueva Martínez (born August 14, 1987) is a Mexican football manager and technical analyst who currently serves as a First Team coach and set-piece coach at Chelsea. Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Cueva has built a reputation in Europe for his tactical acumen and analytical approach to the game, particularly in dead-ball situations.
| class="infobox vcard" style="font-size:90%; width:22em;" | |
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center; line-height: 0.1em; padding-bottom: 0;" | File:Bernandez Cueva Martínez.jpg in 2021]] | |
| colspan="2" style="background:#b0c4de; text-align:center; padding-top:0; padding-bottom:0;" | Personal information | |
|---|---|
| style="padding-right:0.5em; padding-top:0; padding-bottom:0;" | Full name | Bernardo Cueva Martínez |
| Date of birth | 14 August 1987 (age 38) |
| Place of birth | Guadalajara, Mexico |
| colspan="2" style="background:#b0c4de; text-align:center;" | Team information | |
| Current team | Chelsea (set-piece coach) |
| colspan="2" style="background:#b0c4de; text-align:center;" | Managerial career | |
| 2017–2020 | C.D. Guadalajara |
| 2020–2024 | Brentford |
| 2021–2022 | Norway national football team |
| 2024– | Chelsea |
Growing up in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Cueva pursued studies in applied mathematics and strategic planning, setting the foundation for his career as a technical analyst. {{Cite web |title=Un tapatío en la Premier League |url=https://www.informador.mx/deportes/Un-tapatio-en-la-Premier-League-20220205-0036.html |publisher=informador.mx}} Cueva previously worked with C.D. Guadalajara from 2017 to 2020, where he won the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League and participated in the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup.{{Cite web |title=QUIÉN ES BERNARDO CUEVA, EL MEXICANO EN LA PREMIER LEAGUE CON EL BRENTFORD |url=https://www.futboltotal.com.mx/futbol-internacional/liga-de-inglaterra/quien-es-bernardo-cueva-el-mexicano-en-la-premier-league-con-el-brentford/2022/08 |publisher=futboltotal.com.mx}}{{Cite web |title=Bernardo Cueva, el mexicano que dejó a Chivas y ahora triunfa con el Brentford de Inglaterra |url=https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/deportes/2022/08/14/bernardo-cueva-mexicano-dejo-chivas-ahora-triunfa-brentford-premier-league-inglaterra/ |publisher=elfinanciero.com.mx}} He then was appointed in 2020 as a First Team Coach of English Championship side Brentford, achieving promotion to the English Premier League, then working with the Norway national football team as a Senior Men’s First Team Coach in 2021 simultaneously before leaving in 2022 to focus on Brentford.{{Cite web |title=¿Quién es Bernardo Cueva, el mexicano que está en la Premier League? |url=https://www.goal.com/es-mx/noticias/bernardo-cueva-mexicano-inglaterra-brentford/4v92pd1m6n0n1wg30yynfdxfx |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230430220648/https://www.goal.com/es-mx/noticias/bernardo-cueva-mexicano-inglaterra-brentford/4v92pd1m6n0n1wg30yynfdxfx |archive-date=2023-04-30 |access-date=2023-09-12 |publisher=goal.com (Archived)}}{{Cite web |title=Bernardo Cueva: "El Brentford tiene bien vistos a los jugadores mexicanos" |url=https://www.foxsports.com.mx/2022/06/09/bernardo-cueva-el-brentford-tiene-bien-vistos-a-los-jugadores-mexicanos/ |publisher=foxsports.com.mx}}{{Cite web |title=Solbakken gir talknusar makt: – Kan ikkje bli dårlegare |url=https://www.nrk.no/sport/solbakken-gir-talknusar-makt_-_-kan-ikkje-bli-darlegare-1.15677536 |publisher=nrk.no}} In the 2024, he left Brentford and was to appointed to English Premier League side Chelsea as a First Team Coach, where he won both the 2024-25 UEFA Europa Conference League and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup his first season.{{Cite web |last=Kinsella |first=Nizaar |date=2024-03-14 |title=Chelsea poach Brentford specialist Cueva to build set-piece department |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/chelsea-fc-brentford-bernardo-cueva-set-pieces-b1145250.html |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Real Betis 1-4 Chelsea: The Blues complete set with Conference League success |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaconferenceleague/news/0299-1dde1ba33803-6370dd142717-1000--real-betis-1-4-chelsea-the-blues-complete-set-with-confe/?utm_source=chatgpt.com |website=uefa.com/uefaconferenceleague}}{{Cite web |title=Chelsea beats PSG 3-0 for Club World Cup title as Palmer scores twice and sets up third goal |url=https://apnews.com/article/club-world-cup-final-chelsea-psg-score-bd3b0fb78c27cace1e8f7f6c555cb9c8# |website=apnews.com}}
Early life
Born in August 14, 1987, Cueva is originally from the Providencia neighborhood in Guadalajara, he spent his childhood on Milan Street and played football in the streets like any other child of his time.
From a young age, Cueva was passionate about football and often played with friends. His love for the game developed early, and though he didn't follow a traditional professional player path, he gravitated toward the analytical and tactical side of football. Before entering coaching, he pursued studies in applied mathematics and strategic planning, setting the foundation for his career as a technical analyst. {{Cite web|url=https://www.informador.mx/deportes/Un-tapatio-en-la-Premier-League-20220205-0036.html|title=Un tapatío en la Premier League|publisher=informador.mx}}
Career
On July 1, 2017 in the 2017-18 season, Cueva was the Head of Sports Intelligence of Mexican side C.D. Guadalajara.{{Cite web|url=https://www.futboltotal.com.mx/futbol-internacional/liga-de-inglaterra/quien-es-bernardo-cueva-el-mexicano-en-la-premier-league-con-el-brentford/2022/08|title=QUIÉN ES BERNARDO CUEVA, EL MEXICANO EN LA PREMIER LEAGUE CON EL BRENTFORD|publisher=futboltotal.com.mx}} He was part of C.D. Guadalajara when they won the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League and participated in the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup. After 3 years with C.D Guadalajara, He left on June 30, 2020 in the 2019-20 season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/deportes/2022/08/14/bernardo-cueva-mexicano-dejo-chivas-ahora-triunfa-brentford-premier-league-inglaterra/|title=Bernardo Cueva, el mexicano que dejó a Chivas y ahora triunfa con el Brentford de Inglaterra|publisher=elfinanciero.com.mx}} On July 1, 2020 in the 2020-21 season, he was appointed as a First Team coach and set-piece coach of English Championship team Brentford.{{Cite web|url=https://www.goal.com/es-mx/noticias/bernardo-cueva-mexicano-inglaterra-brentford/4v92pd1m6n0n1wg30yynfdxfx|title=¿Quién es Bernardo Cueva, el mexicano que está en la Premier League?|publisher=goal.com (Archived)|access-date=2023-09-12|archive-date=2023-04-30|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230430220648/https://www.goal.com/es-mx/noticias/bernardo-cueva-mexicano-inglaterra-brentford/4v92pd1m6n0n1wg30yynfdxfx|url-status=bot: unknown}} He was part of Brentford when they achieved promotion to the English Premier League.{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com.mx/2022/06/09/bernardo-cueva-el-brentford-tiene-bien-vistos-a-los-jugadores-mexicanos/|title=Bernardo Cueva: "El Brentford tiene bien vistos a los jugadores mexicanos"|publisher=foxsports.com.mx}} He became the first Mexican to ever be part of the coaching staff of an English Premier League team.{{Cite web|url=https://www.infobae.com/america/deportes/2021/08/16/quien-es-bernardo-cueva-el-mexicano-detras-del-exito-del-brentford-en-la-premier-league/|title=Quién es Bernardo Cueva, el mexicano detrás del éxito del Brentford en la Premier League|publisher=infobae.com}}
On September 21, 2021 in the 2021-22 season, Cueva was appointed Senior Men's First Team coach of the Norway national football team.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrk.no/sport/solbakken-gir-talknusar-makt_-_-kan-ikkje-bli-darlegare-1.15677536|title=Solbakken gir talknusar makt: – Kan ikkje bli dårlegare|publisher=nrk.no}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.tv2.no/sport/fotball/landslagets-hemmelige-vapen-han-far-all-makt/14269722/|title=Landslagets hemmelige våpen: – Han får all makt|publisher=tv2.no}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.tv2.no/sport/fotball/hver-gang-vi-far-dodball-har-vi-tro-pa-at-vi-kan-straffe-motstanderen/14284324/|title=– Hver gang vi får dødball har vi tro på at vi kan straffe motstanderen|publisher=tv2.no}} He only worked with them during the international breaks, so he was able to work for the Norway national football team and Brentford simultaneously.{{Cite web|url=https://espndeportes.espn.com/futbol/mexico/nota/_/id/9865006/bernardo-cueva-rechazo-chivas-auxiliar-brentford-asesor-noruega|title=Bernardo Cueva, de ser rechazado en Chivas a trabajar como auxiliar en Premier League y asesor de Noruega|publisher=espn.com}} He later left the Norway national team the same season on March 30, 2022 to focus his career with Brentford. After 4 years with Brentford, he left on June 30, 2024 in the 2023-24 season.
Cueva joined Chelsea on July 1, 2024 as a First Team coach and set-piece coach at the start of the 2024–25 season.{{Cite web |last=Kinsella |first=Nizaar |date=2024-03-14 |title=Chelsea poach Brentford specialist Cueva to build set-piece department |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/chelsea-fc-brentford-bernardo-cueva-set-pieces-b1145250.html |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Ornstein |first=David |title=Chelsea to hire Brentford's Cueva as set-piece coach |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5339139/2024/03/13/chelsea-bernardo-cueva-brentford/ |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=The Athletic |language=en}} In his first year at the club, Chelsea managed to secure a spot for the UEFA Champions League next season, something the team struggled to achieve in the past 2 seasons, and also the managed to win the 2024-25 UEFA Europa Conference League with a commanding 4–1 victory over Spanish LaLiga side Real Betis in the final.{{Cite web |title=Chelsea and Cole Palmer storm back at Real Betis to win Conference League |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/may/28/real-betis-chelsea-europa-conference-league-final-match-report?utm_source=chatgpt.com |website=theguardian.com}}{{Cite web |title=Real Betis 1-4 Chelsea: The Blues complete set with Conference League success |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaconferenceleague/news/0299-1dde1ba33803-6370dd142717-1000--real-betis-1-4-chelsea-the-blues-complete-set-with-confe/?utm_source=chatgpt.com |website=uefa.com/uefaconferenceleague}} That same season, his side also stunned the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain with a dominant 3–0 win in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final, featuring a brace Cole Palmer.{{Cite web |title=Chelsea beats PSG 3-0 for Club World Cup title as Palmer scores twice and sets up third goal |url=https://apnews.com/article/club-world-cup-final-chelsea-psg-score-bd3b0fb78c27cace1e8f7f6c555cb9c8# |website=apnews.com}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cueva, Bernardo}}
Category:Brentford F.C. non-playing staff
Category:Expatriate football managers in England
Category:Mexican expatriate football managers
Category:Mexican expatriate sportspeople in England
Category:Mexican football managers
Category:Chelsea F.C. non-playing staff
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