Troubled Parma are scheduled to go up against Atlanta on Sunday afternoon at Stadio Tardini in Serie A.
The main problem for Parma may not be that they are coming up against a relegation rival in Atalanta but that they may not even be able to go ahead with the fixture.
The problematic club haven’t been able to go ahead with their last two fixtures after much publicised financial problems with fixtures, fittings and the team bus either sold or up for sale.
Wages have not been to player and staff alike and key players such as Antonio Cassano have left but they still hold out hope.
Roberto Donadoni and his side managed to gain a draw with Roma in their last fixture and also put in a decent performance at San Siro against Milan.
On the pitch things aren’t as messy as the off field problems but they are still pretty bad with the Gialloblu rock bottom with ten points and not a clue when the next fixture will be played.
Even if the game does go ahead, Atalanta could be bouncing as new manager Edy Reja takes his brand new team to Serie A’s bottom club after a run of poor form meant change was needed from former boss Stefano Colantuono.
Reja has said that his players are not sitting around and waiting for the game to be called off and that they will prepare for the fixture professionally and Atalanta’s new boss believes his club are better than their league position suggests.
The club currently sit 17th in Serie A but are a huge 13 points clear of Sunday’s opponents but with five defeats from their last six, meaning that they have been dragged in to a relegation dog fight.
Former Lazio boss Reja will be hoping that his attacking players can start contributing more with only 22 goals scored in 25 games, two more in two extra games than Parma.
Striker German Denis will be licking his lips at the prospect of a goal or two against a team that have conceded 47 goals in 23 games thus far.
When the two teams met in the reverse fixutre in October, Atalanta won 1-0 with a last minute winner but it may not be a last minute goal that causes heartbreak for Parma by the end of this Serie A campaign.
The toughest challenge for Parma may not be Reja’s expected ‘new coach bounce’ but getting the game on at all. If the game goes ahead it could yet be for nothing as Atalanta looked poised for a very handy three points.
Form Guide: Parma (D-L-L-L-L-L) Atalanta (L-L-L-L-W-L)
Expected Starting XIs
Parma: Mirante; Cassani; Costa; Lucarelli; Gobbi; J.Mauri; Mariga; Nocerino; Varela; Coda; C. Rodriguez
Atalanta: Sportiello; Bellini; Benalouane; Cherubin; Drame; Carmona; Cigarini; Baselli; D’Alessandro; Denis; Emanuelson
