Italian businessman and former Parma president Tommaso Ghirardi has rejected accusations of driving the Gialloblu into debt.
The troubled Serie A side is plagued with severe financial crisis with salaries pending since July 2014 and this weekend’s clash against Udinese was called off because the club didn’t have the funds to pay for the Stadium services at the Stadio Tardini.
Ghirardi was in charge of Parma for several years before selling to Rezart Taci in December last year for €1, Taci sold the club two months later to current patron Giampietro Manenti for €1.
Club captain Alessandro Lucarelli slung accusations on former president Tommaso Ghirardi in an interview given to Gazzetta dello Sport.
“In November last year the now ex-president Ghirardi came to the locker room and told us our wages hadn’t been paid because he was in negotiations with Rezart Taci to sell the club, but negotiations did not go well,”said Lucarelli.
“We told him that as club president he owed us our wages, but he replied that he wont put one more Euro into Parma. At that point the meeting became rather tense, some harsh things were said.
“We felt betrayed and taken for a ride by Ghirardi.”
In addition to the severe financial woes there is a confusion over the actual amount of debts Parma have accrued, as some suggest it is €96 million.
Ghirardi, while replying to accusations, spoke to Rai Sport: “I have not spoken to reporters for a couple of months. I am pained by what is happening now.
“I invite people to read the balance sheets of the club. I am tired of hearing these idiotic comments.”
The club is on the verge of bankruptcy and has been dissolved and relegated to Serie B.
Reports in Italy also suggest that current patron Manenti has already walked away from the club.
Several Parma players and former players have created a twitter handle “#saveparma” in a bid to campaign for the club.
Parma defender Massimo Gobbi tweeted: “At home on Sunday, Parma-Udinese is not being played and it is not even a sporting issue?!”
“”You have broken football!!” tweeted winger Raffaele Palladino with a picture of a deflated balloon to accompany his words.
