Parma buy time for January sales Wednesday 31 December, 2003
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Crisis-hit Parma have staved off bankruptcy for another week by delaying today’s meeting, but this makes mass sales even more likely.
The club was set to hold a shareholders’ meeting this afternoon in which the Capital would be raised in order to avoid liquidation.
Fresh funds cannot come from the majority shareholders Parmalat, as the dairy giants are at the centre of Italy’s biggest financial fraud scandal.
President Calisto Tanzi is under arrest in a Milan prison and has reportedly admitted to taking £330m from the Parmalat bank accounts for himself, although the whereabouts of this sum is still unclear.
Tanzi’s creative accounting means that the estimated figure of Parmalat’s debts are rising every day and are now thought to be in the region of £7bn.
However, there is hope yet for AC Parma, as Parmalat are registered as owing the football club a total of £53m.
If the authorities will accept this credit, then the Capital can be raised and the club can avoid bankruptcy for the time being.
This will buy them enough time to sell off several stars in the January transfer window and bring in some ready cash.
“From my meeting with Parmalat administrator Enrico Bondi,” revealed Gialloblu President Stefano Tanzi, “will emerge the decisions that involve AC Parma, its players and fans.”
The side needs another £27m in order to continue playing football in Serie A until the end of the season.
The imminent sale of Adriano will bring in approximately £18m of that sum, as Inter are ready to bring the Brazilian back now in order to stave off competition from Chelsea.
“An agreement with the Nerazzurri does exist,” explained Tanzi, “and we must now decide whether to adjust it or confirm that deal.”
It is still not enough to save the Tardini outfit, so Italian internationals Daniele Bonera and Marco Marchionni are on their way out.
Bonera has long been a target for Juventus, while Milan are now showing interest in promising winger Marchionni.
Goalkeeper Sebastien Frey can spark a bidding war between Chelsea and Bayern Munich, while Hidetoshi Nakata is days away from completing his move to Bologna.
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... :down:
Be it Adriano or Frey...no star is worth more than the club survival...
it would be like the end of a graduation ceremony where everyone hugs each other and then go on their separate ways...
this article already touched me.. let alone any Parma fan...