Parma to appeal FIGC punishment

Serie A strugglers Parma have confirmed their intention to appeal the one-point penalty imposed on them for their financial issues.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced on Tuesday that Serie A’s bottom club are to be deducted a point and fined €5,000 for missing tax payments, as well as failing to pay the wages of players and staff.

President Tommaso Ghirardi and CEO Pietro Leonardi have also been banned from club-related activity for two months and fined €5,000 each.

However, Parma confirmed later on Tuesday that they will appeal the FIGC’s sanctions and feel confident they will get overturned.

The Stadio Ennio Tardini club believe the reasons behind the FIGC’s decisions are not strong enough to stand up in an appeal court, and also insisted that Leonardi and chairman Mario Bastianon are exempt from any wrongdoing.

Parma, who will be reduced to just five points from 14 Serie A games this season should the punishment go through, feel the previous verdict of a civil court exempts Leonardi and Bastianon from any sanctions.

An excerpt of a statement on the club’s official website read: “An examination of the reasons given by the National Federation Tribunal gives the belief that there is ample room to get a total reform of the judgment and regain the deducted point removed.”