This doesn't look right.
Serie A is a lesser place today. Parma have dropped from the top flight to the basement of the Italian football league with one fell swoop.
Anyone lucky enough to experience the 90s television sensation that was Football Italia will always have a fond affinity for the Ducali.
We're talking about a noble club that retired its number 12 jersey in honour of its fans in the Curva Nord stand.
We're talking about a team who were always promising but never quite dominating so they ticked all the boxes for the casual observer.
We're talking about a club that's housed some Italian league legends like Faustino Asprilla, Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Enrico Chiesa, Roberto Sensini, Hristo Stoichkov, Lillian Thuram and Dino bloody Baggio. We needn't go on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBGmbKbfW7w
But, now, Parma have suffered a similar fate to Rangers and they've been relegated to Serie D. The north Italian outfit failed to find a new owner to relieve them of their debt and the decision was made today.
“The administrators of Parma FC, Dr Angelo Anedda and Dr Alberto Guion, communicated that as of 14.00 today, June 22 2015, no offers have been received for the sporting rights of the club,” a statement on the club's website read.
“In the coming hours, the administrators will meet with the creditor’s committee and the bankruptcy judge Dr Pietro Rogato to make the necessary arrangements for the bankruptcy proceedings.”
Parma won two Coppa Italia titles, two UEFA Cups and a Cup Winners' Cup in the 90s.
After finishing bottom of Serie A last season, the club was relegated but, now, they must start their climb back from the very bottom, bankrupt.
