February 23 – Italian Serie A club Parma, twice former winners of the old UEFA Cup, took the dramatic step of calling off Sunday’s league game against Udinese on safety grounds as the division’s bottom club edged closer towards the financial abyss.
Players and staff have not been paid all season and stewarding costs were unable to be met to stage Sunday’s fixture. The club asked to play behind closed doors but the Italian Football Federation ordered a postponement.
Training on Friday was also cancelled with cash levels reported to be dangerously low.
New Parma president Giampietro Manenti said last week he was confident the club could meet its debts which are estimated at €16 million but a bankruptcy hearing is set for March 19.
Club captain Alessandro Lucarelli did not mince his words when summing up the current crisis. “Time is running out. We need facts, not words,” he said.
“We are prepared to do what may be needed in the event that the current president cannot meet the club’s financial commitments. The most urgent thing is to save the club. We will be happy if that can be Mr Manenti, if not we will work with other institutions to find an alternative plan. Our patience has a limit. We are a united group and we have given the club an ultimatum.”
Parma have changed hands twice in the last two months in a desperate attempt to find stability. Dastraso Holdings, a Cyprus-based conglomerate, took control in December but the club was sold again two weeks ago to Slovenian-based Mapi group.
The club, who have won the Italian cup three times, finished a creditable sixth in the table last year but missed out on the Europa League for not meeting UEFA’s club licensing criteria.
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