Aston Villa Set-Piece Coach Austin MacPhee Joins Chelsea; Bernardo Cueva Shifts to Technical Role
According to an exclusive report by TA journalist John Townley, Aston Villa's set-piece coach Austin MacPhee has left the club after five years to join Chelsea. MacPhee was highly regarded for his tactical design and training, contributing to Villa scoring 29 goals from set-pieces last season. At Chelsea, he will replace Bernardo Cueva, who transitions to a behind-the-scenes technical and advisory role focusing on set-piece analysis and opponent preparation. Cueva, who joined Chelsea from Brentford in 2024 for £1 million, holds a UEFA Pro License and previously worked in Mexico and Norway. Additionally, Sebastián Parilla, an assistant from Xabi Alonso's staff at Bayer Leverkusen known for improving set-piece statistics, will join Chelsea's coaching team. The moves reflect Chelsea's strategic overhaul under new head coach Xabi Alonso.
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