Bernardo Cueva

Bernardo Cueva Martínez (born August 14, 1987) is a Mexican professional football coach who is chief analyst at Premier League club Chelsea. He has built a reputation in Europe for his tactical acumen and analytical approach to the game, particularly in dead-ball situations.

Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Cueva pursued studies in applied mathematics and strategic planning, setting the foundation for his career as a technical analyst. Cueva previously worked with Mexican side Guadalajara from 2017 to 2020, where he won the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League. He then was appointed in 2020 as a first team coach of English Championship side Brentford, achieving promotion to the Premier League, then working with the Norway national team also as a first team coach in 2021 simultaneously before leaving in 2022 to focus solely on his role with Brentford. In 2024, he left Brentford and was appointed to fellow Premier League side Chelsea where he won both the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in his first season.

Early life

Born on August 14, 1987, Cueva is originally from the Providencia neighborhood in Guadalajara, he spent his childhood playing 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.

Career Guadalajara In the 2017–18 season, Cueva was appointed as the Head of Sports Intelligence of Mexican side Guadalajara. He was part of Guadalajara when they won the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League. After three years with Guadalajara, he left during the 2019–20 season.

Brentford and Norway national team Cueva was then appointed as a First Team coach and set-piece coach of English Championship team Brentford in the 2020–21 season. He was part of Brentford when they achieved promotion to the Premier League. He became the first Mexican to ever be part of the coaching staff of an Premier League team.

Cueva was appointed first team coach of the Norway national team in the 2021–22 season. He only worked with them during the international breaks, so he was able to work for Norway and Brentford simultaneously. He later left Norway in early 2022 to focus his career with Brentford. After four years with Brentford, he caught the attention of English side Chelsea and left Brentford during the 2023–24 season.

Chelsea Cueva joined Chelsea as a first team coach and set-piece coach at the start of the 2024–25 season. At his first year with the club, Chelsea managed to secure a spot for the UEFA Champions League , something the team struggled to achieve in the past two seasons, and also the managed to win the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League with a commanding 4–1 victory over Spanish side Real Betis in the final. 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 from Cole Palmer. Ahead of the start of the 2026–27 season, he took over as a chief analyst at Chelsea.