December 10 – Italian Serie A strugglers Parma have been handed a one-point deduction for financial irregularities last season.
The club have also been fined €5,000 whilst, more alarmingly, its president Tommaso Ghirardi and administrator Pietro Leonardi have each been given a two-month suspension.
Parma finished a creditable sixth last term but were not granted a UEFA license by the Italian authorities to compete in this season’s 2014-15 Europa League after failing to pay income tax on time.
A statement from the Italian football federation (FIGC) read: “The FIGC tribunal has ruled that Parma will be deducted a point in their standings, to be discounted during this sporting season, while the club must pay a €5,000 fine.
“President Tommaso Ghirardi and club administrator Pietro Leonardi will be suspended for two months and each fined €5,000 for financial irregularities.”
“The two executives of Parma were incriminated for not sending to the Serie A National Professional League (LNP) before February 17, 2014 the receipt for the payment of the income tax due for the salaries of the players of November and December 2013 and also for not using a wire transfer to the current account present in the registration documents to the Serie A league to pay the above salaries.”
Basically Parma missed a deadline not only for payment of taxes but also two months of outstanding wages and the ruling comes at the worst possible time.
The club, coached by former Italian midfielder Roberto Donadoni, have endured a miserable season on and off the pitch collecting just six points from 14 league games to lie bottom of the table. Now make that five points.
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