Cesare Prandelli was announced as the new man-in-charge in May 2002, but Parma continued to move on their top players and Parma slipped to defeat to Juventus in the 2002 Supercoppa Italiana, although the depleted squad did manage to finish above expectations in fifth place. Despite the sale of Mutu, injury to Adriano, Parmalat's financial meltdown and the insolvency of the club – which led to a name change to Parma Football Club – Parma again finished fifth, in no small part due to 23-goal Alberto Gilardino.Prandelli's departure as manager preceded the 2004–05 season and Parma plummeted to their lowest finish in Serie A – despite another 23-goal haul from Gilardino, who was then sold for €24M – as managers Silvio Baldini and Pietro Carmignani came and went.Parma ended the following season in tenth, but the Calciopoli scandal meant re-classification to seventh and a UEFA Cup spot. Stefano Pioli was appointed manager as the 2006–07 season approached.
On 24 January 2007, Tommaso Ghirardi became the owner and president of Parma F.C. In February, second-bottom Parma fired head coach Pioli and replaced him with Claudio Ranieri who managed to avoid relegation to Serie B on the final day of the season and then resigned. Parma again battled with relegation the following year and three different men – Domenico Di Carlo, Héctor Cúper and Andrea Manzo – took charge that season as Parma failed to preserve their Serie A status after eighteen years in the top flight. Life in Serie B started badly under Luigi Cagni and he was replaced by Francesco Guidolin, who won promotion back to Serie A with a second-place finish. Parma managed to finish eighth on their return to Serie A in 2009–10, narrowly missing out on qualification for the Europa League. In the summer of 2010, head coach Guidolin left the club for Udinese, swapping jobs with Pasquale Marino.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
More trophies despite upheaval (1996–2002)
The team was again overhauled as Hernán Crespo, Enrico Chiesa and Zé Maria all signed, while Gianfranco Zola was sold to Chelsea for £4.5M.Ancelotti guided to a club record second place in 1997 and Parma consequently made their debut in the Champions League, but progress from the group stages was not completed. Coupled with a disappointing finish in fifth position in Serie A, this led to the job being passed to Alberto Malesani, who signed Juan Sebastián Verón from Sampdoria. Despite a disappointing finish in fourth place in Serie A, this season remains Parma's most successful ever, completing a rare cup double, winning the Coppa Italia final on the away goals rule after playing out two legs against Fiorentina as well as the UEFA Cup, after a comfortable 3–0 victory over Marseille at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
A ticket to the 1999 UEFA Cup Final against Marseille, held in Moscow, Russia
Italian Super Cup victory over league champions A.C. Milan was contrasted with early Champions League elimination at the hands of Rangers and a fifth-place finish in the league. The following summer saw the sale of Crespo to Lazio for a world record transfer fee. Parma's start to the following season led to the sacking of Malesani, a brief spell under Arrigo Sacchi and the appointment of new coach Renzo Ulivieri, who led the side to fourth in the league. Parma lost the Coppa Italia final to Fiorentina 2–1 on aggegrate in 2001 and Ulivieri was sacked in October of the next season after a poor start. Things did not improve under Daniel Passarella and he too was fired. Pietro Carmignani's subsequent appointment provided a third Coppa Italia trophy in 2002, yet again facing Juventus and emerging victorious on the away goals rule. Parma's success in the 1990s and early 2000s earned them a tag as one of the Seven Sisters.
A ticket to the 1999 UEFA Cup Final against Marseille, held in Moscow, Russia
Italian Super Cup victory over league champions A.C. Milan was contrasted with early Champions League elimination at the hands of Rangers and a fifth-place finish in the league. The following summer saw the sale of Crespo to Lazio for a world record transfer fee. Parma's start to the following season led to the sacking of Malesani, a brief spell under Arrigo Sacchi and the appointment of new coach Renzo Ulivieri, who led the side to fourth in the league. Parma lost the Coppa Italia final to Fiorentina 2–1 on aggegrate in 2001 and Ulivieri was sacked in October of the next season after a poor start. Things did not improve under Daniel Passarella and he too was fired. Pietro Carmignani's subsequent appointment provided a third Coppa Italia trophy in 2002, yet again facing Juventus and emerging victorious on the away goals rule. Parma's success in the 1990s and early 2000s earned them a tag as one of the Seven Sisters.
Success with Scala (1989–1996)
Scala's Parma secured a historic promotion in 1990 to Serie A, finishing fourth.Scala supplemented the squad that achieved promotion from Serie B with players like Tomas Brolin and Claudio Taffarel, as Tanzi and his family increased their stake. Parma ended ther first ever season in Serie A in sixth place, qualifying for the UEFA Cup.However, Parma exited the 1991–92 in the first round. The club had more success on the domestic front, finishing sixth in the league and prevailing in the Coppa Italia final after losing the away leg 1–0, but winning the second leg 2–0 at home. In 1992, Parma's squad was further improved by summer arrivals, which helped them to their first international triumph when goals from captain Lorenzo Minotti, Alessandro Melli and Stefano Cuoghi secured a 3–1 victory in the Cup Winners' Cup over Belgian side Antwerp at Wembley.They also managed a record high finish of third place.
The patch worn over Parma's badge in the seasons following their three Coppa Italia triumphs
The following season, the club were successful in the European Super Cup, beating AC Milan. Having lost the first leg 1–0 at home, an extra time goal from Massimo Crippa enough for 2–1 aggregate Parma victory. The same season, however, they lost the Cup Winners' Cup 1–0 in the final against Arsenal and slipped to 5th in the league. The next year, bolstered by further acquisitions, Parma would again face Juventus in a two-legged final; this time in the UEFA Cup. Dino Baggio scored the only goal of the first leg – played in Parma – and he scored again in the second leg, which was staged in Milan, to give Parma a 2–1 aggregate win and a second major European trophy. Parma lost the two-legged Coppa Italia final to Juventus by the same scoreline. A trophy-less 1995–96 meant that Nevio Scala was replaced by Carlo Ancelotti.
The patch worn over Parma's badge in the seasons following their three Coppa Italia triumphs
The following season, the club were successful in the European Super Cup, beating AC Milan. Having lost the first leg 1–0 at home, an extra time goal from Massimo Crippa enough for 2–1 aggregate Parma victory. The same season, however, they lost the Cup Winners' Cup 1–0 in the final against Arsenal and slipped to 5th in the league. The next year, bolstered by further acquisitions, Parma would again face Juventus in a two-legged final; this time in the UEFA Cup. Dino Baggio scored the only goal of the first leg – played in Parma – and he scored again in the second leg, which was staged in Milan, to give Parma a 2–1 aggregate win and a second major European trophy. Parma lost the two-legged Coppa Italia final to Juventus by the same scoreline. A trophy-less 1995–96 meant that Nevio Scala was replaced by Carlo Ancelotti.
Yo-yoing between leagues (1965–1989)
Parma spent just one season in Serie C before they were relegated for a second successive season and found themselves in Serie D in 1966. The club was in turmoil and, having been ordered into liquidation by the Court of Parma in 1968, it was the absorption of local side A.C. Parmense that brought about a change of name to Associazione Calcio Parma and a change of fortune in both financial and sporting terms, as four years of playing in Serie D and three years in Serie C saw Parma find themselves back in Serie B. However, it was a brief sojourn in Serie B as they were relegated in their first season in the division. A return to Serie B did not materialise until the end of the 1970s and again the club lasted just one season in the second tier of Italian football.
Under Cesare Maldini's management Parma again returned to Serie B after winning their division in 1984 with final day victory over San Remo with Juventus-bound Stefano Poli scoring the only goal of the game. Il Ducali against spent just one year in Serie B before a return under was shorter than hoped as they spent just one season in the league, finishing third from bottom and being relegated as a result. Arrigo Sacchi returned the club to Serie B in 1986 and the club finally managed to stay there under the stewardship of Zdeněk Zeman and Giampieri Vitali. Nevio Scala was appointed manager in 1989.
Under Cesare Maldini's management Parma again returned to Serie B after winning their division in 1984 with final day victory over San Remo with Juventus-bound Stefano Poli scoring the only goal of the game. Il Ducali against spent just one year in Serie B before a return under was shorter than hoped as they spent just one season in the league, finishing third from bottom and being relegated as a result. Arrigo Sacchi returned the club to Serie B in 1986 and the club finally managed to stay there under the stewardship of Zdeněk Zeman and Giampieri Vitali. Nevio Scala was appointed manager in 1989.
Early years (1913–1965)
The club was founded in July 1913 as Verdi Football Club in honour of famous opera composer Giuseppe Verdi, who was born in the province of Parma, adopting its yellow and blue as its In December of the year, the club changed its name to Parma Football Club and began wearing white shirts emblazoned with a black cross. Parma began playing league football during the 1919–20 season and launched plans to build a stadium – Stadio Ennio Tardini – for the club two years later. Parma became founder members of Serie B after finishing runners-up in the Prima Divisione in the 1928–29 season, where would remain for three years before being relegated and changing name to Associazione Sportiva Parma. In the 1935–36 season, Parma became founding members of Serie C, where they would remain until they secured a return to Serie B in 1943.
Italian football was then brought to a halt as World War II intensified, although Parma did make an appearance in the Campianto Alta Italia in 1944. Following the restart of organised football, Parma enjoyed three years in Serie B, then split into two regional divisions, before again being relegated in 1948–49 to Serie C, where they would spend another five seasons before an eleven-year spell in Serie B, including the achievement of ninth position in 1954–55, a club record at that time. Parma also made their debut on the European stage during the 1960–61 season, defeating Swiss side AC Bellinzona in the Coppa delle Alpi, but relegation to Serie C followed in 1964–65 season.
Italian football was then brought to a halt as World War II intensified, although Parma did make an appearance in the Campianto Alta Italia in 1944. Following the restart of organised football, Parma enjoyed three years in Serie B, then split into two regional divisions, before again being relegated in 1948–49 to Serie C, where they would spend another five seasons before an eleven-year spell in Serie B, including the achievement of ninth position in 1954–55, a club record at that time. Parma also made their debut on the European stage during the 1960–61 season, defeating Swiss side AC Bellinzona in the Coppa delle Alpi, but relegation to Serie C followed in 1964–65 season.
Parma
Parma Football Club (formerly Parma Associazione Calcio), commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that is competing in Serie A for the 2010–11 season, having finished in eighth position last season. Founded as Verdi Football Club in July 1913, the club changed its name in December of the same year. Parma have played their home matches in the 27,906-seat Stadio Ennio Tardini, often referred to as simply Il Tardini, since 1923.
Although Parma have never won a domestic league title and never competed for major trophies until the 1990s, they have won three Italian Cups, one Supercoppa Italiana, as well as two UEFA Cups, one European Super Cup and one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. The club won all eight of these trophies between 1992 and 2002, a period in which it is also achieved its best ever league finish – as runners-up in the 1996–97 season – and threatened the dominance of the league's established powers: Juventus, Milan and Internazionale, the only Italian sides to have had more success in European competition than Parma.
More recently, Parma's financial troubles, brought on in late 2003 by the Parmalat scandal which caused the parent company to collapse and resulted in the club operating in controlled administration until January 2007, having to fight to stave off relegation, rather than compete for titles. Despite the recent downturn in success, Parma is an associated member and one of eight Italian clubs who are a part of the European Club Association, a collection of Europe's most elite clubs representing clubs at a continental level, formed after the dissolution of the G–14.
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