Sergey Shevchenko - about the club that is reborn after bankruptcy.
Parma - a club well known to fans of Italian football. He never won the Scudetto, but in the "golden" decade (1992-2002) lived to its fullest. Money corporation Parmalat, producing dairy products, elevated Parma to the level of one of the best teams in the strongest league in the world. Parma became the vice-champion of Serie A, three times took the Cup of Italy and even won the European Cups (KOK-1993, KUEFA-1995 and 1999). An outstanding result for the province - recall that in Parma-city lives only 175 thousand people. What names: Antonio Benarric, Dino Baggio, Lilian Thuram, Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro ... The problems started because of the scandal around Parmalat. Calisto Tanzi, the founder of the company, was charged with financial manipulation, and was subsequently sentenced to 18 years for deliberate bankruptcy. The club by that time did not belong to him. Since 2004 Parma passed from hand to hand, and each new owner was more doubtful than the previous one. At first it turned into the middle peasant, and in 2015 everything collapsed: the players did not get salaries, the electricity was cut off at the training base for non-payment, and the Serie A additionally allocated Parma 5 million. euro, so she managed to finish the championship.
The accumulated sum of debts scared off investors. Parma went bankrupt and instead of Serie B it was two levels lower - in Serie D, where amateurs live. In a new era the club entered under the renewed name: Parma Calcio 1913 (she became the legal successor of "the very same" Parma). A familiar development of events, is not it?.
What did Parma do the last few years?.
Shaken off after bankruptcy and every year climbed higher. The club was assisted at this stage by local businessmen, among them, for example, Guido Barilla, the owner of a well-known pasta company. Their efforts were created holding "New Beginnings", the president of the same club was temporarily Nevio Scala, who trained the Crusaders in the 90s. This is a symbolic gesture: Scala since 2004 had no relation to football, but returned to save Parma. The stock of strength was enough for a quick start - the amateur Series D of the season-2015/16 was passed in one go, with zero in the "defeat".
Return to the professional level was, with reservations, a triumph. Parma quickly established itself at the top of the table of her group (one of three in the C Series), but she had to compete with another ambitious project - Venice led by Filippo Inzaghi. Direct access to Serie B gave only the first place, and confidently, with a 10-point handicap, the Venetians took over. Parma remained the last loophole - multi-stage playoff for the fourth tour, which involved as much as 28 teams. Marathon is not for the faint of heart.
Parma was strong. She alternately beat Piacenza (0: 0, 2: 0) with Lucchese (2: 1, 2: 1) and reached the semifinals. The decisive matches took place in a neutral field - the Florentine Artemio Franchi. There was no right to make a mistake, because there was not a return meeting. In the semi-finals Parma only in the 11-meter series managed to knock Pordenone - the one that recently gave the fight to Inter in the Cup. The final with Alessandria took place on June 17, when almost all the championships were long on vacation. Crusaders did not disappoint - 2: 0!.
Who sponsors the club?.
Now - the Chinese. The name of Parma was not in vain, and in the Far East there were businessmen interested in reviving the club. Surely the rapid rise to Serie B was also important, who would not like the growing assets? The parties agreed to sell in the summer of 2017, and in November, official information appeared: 60 percent of the club's shares are now owned by Desport. Its owner is 36-year-old businessman Jiang Lizhzhang, who systematically invests money in sports. Lichang, in particular, belongs to Granada from the Spanish Segunda, as well as actions of various clubs, including Minnesota Timberwolves from the NBA.
The good are the Chinese or not - an excuse for a separate conversation. There is still an unfortunate example of Milan, but Parma is not up to fat. For her, the arrival of a new investor becomes the opportunity to quickly become an elite. The winter transfer campaign looks promising, and now there are funds. Another positive side is the return of Hernan Crespo. Star ex-bombardier became the ambassador of the club and now will personify Parma in Italy and the world. It would be interesting to see him on the coaching bench, but work with Modena (Serie B) was frankly unsuccessful. Not every good football player - and further in the text.
The team is being trained by another young specialist - 42-year-old Roberto D'Avers. He is notable for being born in German Stuttgart, and before that he was headed only by Virtus Lanciano from Serie B, and not very successfully. Position he received in late 2016, when Luigi Apolloni, the legendary player of Parma 1990's (304 matches), did not forgive the home 1: 4 from Padova. This can happen with D'Avers himself, because the ambitions of the club are growing, as in leaps and bounds.
Who's playing?.
The hero of the new Parma - the incredible Alessandro Lucarelli. Just a few facts: he is 40 years old, but he still plays at the base; he is the club's absolute record for the number of matches in the national championships (320), he played for Parma in Serie A-2014/15 and remained in the team, despite the drop to the amateur level. It's natural that this central defender is loved by fans, and Lukarelli himself comes out with a captain's armband. If anyone has forgotten: Alessandro is the younger brother of Christian, a well-known striker, who played for Shakhtar as well.
In Parma, a few more veterans play. Striker Emanuele Kalayo (Napoli, Siena) is 36 years old, he is also the main one, and last season with 15 goals became the team's top scorer, but now age affects the effectiveness. Defender Valerio Di Cesare and midfielder Gianni Munari for 34 years. From other players, we mention Luka Siligardi, who played hundreds of matches for Livorno, and also Roberto Insignier, Lorenzo's younger brother. In the manner of the game, he mirrors the older: the left-hander, but plays on the right flank of the attack. His contract, by the way, belongs to Napoli, so that if Roberto progresses, the brothers will reunite, but now, let's be honest, his level is Serie B, here he is useful (5 goals, 4 assists).
The composition of the team is changing this winter. Indicative was the rental of Amato Chichiretti, the leader of Benevento - let the weak, but the team from Serie A. This versatile player of the "attack group" managed to score with a free-kick to Juventus, and last season, enchanting, giving 12 assists. In the summer, he will probably go to Napoli, so this is a reinforcement for a specific task. In addition, the beginners of Parma were experienced defender Sassuolo Marcello Gazzola (79 matches in Serie A) and bought for 2.3 million. euro for Novara 21-year-old Dutch striker Alessio Da Cruz, who must strengthen the problem line of attack. The work is underway, the club lives, and this is the main thing.
What prospects?.
Parma is fighting for an outlet in the elite. This, however, is too general a phrase, because the current Series B is remarkable for its density. Only nine points share the first place with the ninth. The regulation adds intrigue: the first two teams go directly, and those who took the third place in the 8th fight in the playoffs. Exit directly Parma will not be easy. There is Palermo with an eccentric president, but a raw team (Rispoli, Chochev, Nestorovski). There is Frosinone, which last year did not rise only by the will of chance. There is a reconfiguring Empoli, Pescara with Zdenek Zeman, strengthening Bari, Venice already mentioned, and other teams eager for the elite - for example, Cremonese, to whom the Parmesan side lost 0: 1. However, does Parma scare away games?.
If Parma manages to rise three times in three years in the classroom, then this achievement will take a proper place next to the goblets. Parmezantsy, however, have already achieved a key success - the loyalty of the fans. Old-good Ennio Tardini collected 10-thousand audience even on amateur matches. Planck does not decrease: Parma - the fourth team of Serie B for the average attendance of home games (only Bari, Cesena and Foggia are higher), and on the away match with Cremonese came 1700 fans. Many of them were rooting for Parma in the victorious final of KUEFA-1999, and now they are sincerely happy with local successes. Such tests have already passed the fans from Naples and Florence, large and iconic cities, but the peculiarity of the history of Parma is how the breakthrough of the team-upstart 90s enshrined in the provincial city a true tradition.
In addition to the previous text about the most original players of Serie A. Readers suggested the candidatures of Patrick Coutrone, Giovanni Simeone, Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Bardzalli and Borja Valero. Of them, as for me, the closest is Bardzalya (the antipode of Mandzhukich is a centerbeck, often coming out on the flank, even at that age), although Borha is, of course, a worthy option. Kutron - a versatile and very promising forward, we wrote about him at the beginning of the season.
Author: Sergey Shevchenko.