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.
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