Chelsea will have a new specialist set-piece coach from the start of the 2024/25 campaign after recruiting Bernardo Cueva from west London rivals Brentford.
As reported by Fabrizio Romano via X.com , Chelsea will pay Brentford £750,000 in compensation for the 36-year-old.
The move will see Cueva leave Brentford after almost four years, having joined the club’s coaching staff in September 2020.
Confirmed: Bernardo Cueva leaves Brentford to join Chelsea as new set-piece coach starting from next season.
Chelsea will pay £750k compensation. pic.twitter.com/K69huSuhPE
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 18, 2024
Since October 2021, Cueva has also been part of the backroom staff for the Norway men’s national team.
He was previously employed by Mexican side Chivas as strategic analysis manager from 2017 to 2020.
Cueva has regularly accompanied head coach Thomas Frank on the Brentford bench this season, including during an impressive 2-0 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in October when the Mexican was shown a yellow card by referee Simon Hooper.
Chelsea have not yet publicly announced the appointment of Cueva.
However, Brentford confirmed his imminent departure in a club statement on Saturday.
It read: “Tactical statistician Bernardo Cueva will leave Brentford at the end of the season.
“Cueva has been with the club since September 2020, generating new insights from data and working closely with the Bees’ coaching staff.”
The statement then included a quote from Brentford director of football Phil Giles, who wrote: “Bernardo has done a fantastic job for us over the last four seasons.
“His first season ended with promotion to the Premier League, and he has played a key role in us now achieving four successive Premier League seasons.
“Part of Bernardo’s role relates to our set-piece strategies, and this is an area I think everyone at the club can be proud about.
“He leaves with the blessing and best wishes of everyone at Brentford.”
Tactical statistician Bernardo Cueva will leave Brentford at the end of the season
Bernardo leaves with the blessing and best wishes of everyone at the club
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) May 18, 2024
Chelsea will be hoping that Cueva can be as successful as Arsenal’s set-piece coach Nicolas Jover.
Set-piece specialist Jover also used to work for Brentford before moving to Manchester City in 2019.
After helping City reduce the number of goals conceded from set-pieces by 35%, Jover moved to Arsenal two years later.
Jover has received a lot of media attention this season as a result of Arsenal’s superb record from attacking corners.
With one game remaining, the Gunners have already equalled the record for most goals scored from corners in a single Premier League season (16).
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