Parma take on Torino in Serie A action on Sunday evening at the Stadio Ennio Tardini in an encounter which will almost certainly not be present on fixture lists next season following the announcement of Parma’s bankruptcy on Thursday.
The Gialloblu’s difficulties have been well document both on and off the pitch but after amassing debts of over €218,000,000, the club has been made insolvent, with a plan in place with Lega Serie A and the FIGC to fund the club to finish the current campaign.
The club’s performances on the pitch have been influenced by the situation with players and staff going unpaid for the season and consequently the side have accumulated only three victories from twenty five attempts and sit fourteen points away from safety following a points deduction.
Despite the situation, Parma midfielder Daniele Galloppa revealed that the players will continue to do their duty if required and Roberto Donadoni’s outfit can take solace from the Granata playing St Petersburg’s FC Zenit in Europa League action prior the Sunday’s match.
Parma have the better head against their opponents in recent matches, winning five of their last ten matches against Il Toro, losing just on in the same period but will have an uphill struggle to continue such a run.
After a poor start to the season, Torino finally found their form and went on a twelve match unbeaten run in Serie A commencing in early December.
That run has come to an abrupt end in recent weeks following two consecutive defeats against Udinese and Lazio, although Gianpiero Gasperini’s outfit will be confident of adding insult to injury to a side already sapped of motivation and confidence.
The return to form of Fabio Quagliarella has galvanized the Turin outfit who go into Sundays match sandwiched between the two Milan giants in the standings but his side will be reliant on their top scorer hitting top gear if they are to come away from Emmila-Romagna with the points.
Torino won this season’s previous tie 1-0 following an early goal from Matteo Darmian but could be without Giuseppe Vives, Alessandro Gazzi and Salvatore Massiello for Sunday’s tie who all miss out through injury.
The home side will be without goalkeeper Antonio Mirante, midfielder Jose Mauri and full back Massimo Gobbi through suspension while long term absentee Johnathan Biabiany remains sidelined.
Form Guide: Parma (L-L-L-D-D-L) Torino (W-D-D-W-L-L)
Expected Starting XIs
Parma: Iacobucci; Cassani, Costa, Lucarelli, Santacroce; Galloppa, Mariga, Nocerino; Varela, Coda, Belfodil.
Torino: Padelli; Moretti, Glik, Bovo, Darmian, Peres;, Benassi, Gonzalez, Farnerud; Lopez, Quagliarella.
