(FM16) Il Ritorno: Parma Calcio

SERIE B PREVIEW: PARMA VS. EMPOLI

Date: 24 January 2018
Kick Off: 15:00


Home Team
Based In: Parma
Position: 2nd
Manager: Paolo Vanoli
Captain: Raffaele Di Gennaro
Key Player: Niccolo Belloni
Injuries & Suspensions: Yoan Severin, Arlind Ajeti
Last Match: 2-1 Vs. Perugia Calcio
Form:

Fans Prediction: ”Our form, has gone from being unstoppable, to absolutely woeful. Against Perugia we took a very early lead and should have gone on to dominate the tie but we just switched off after two minutes. Paolo Vanoli needs to get his heads together with the coaching staff and sort it out, starting with this game against Empoli. However they’re flying at the minute and I think they’re going to get the three points they need.”


Empoli
Based In: Empoli
Position: 3rd
Manager: Walter Zenga
Captain: Lorenzo Tonelli
Key Player: Riccardo Saponara
Injuries & Suspensions: Salvatore D’Elia, Rade Krunic
Last Match: 1-0 Vs. Modena
Form:

Fans Prediction: ”We’re in relatively good form and we’re up to third and looking like we could just push for promotion. Parma are doing awfully at the minute and their defence is there for the taking so if we can go and play our best attacking football then we can get three easy points here against a poor defence. We should win this game and I think we will!”

JANUARY UPDATE

Results

20.01.2018: Parma 1-2 Perugia
- Visitors Recover From Early Setback To Claim Victory Over League Leaders
2: A. Innocenti
23: A. Donnarumma
65: A. Donnarumma (Pen)
Alfredo Donnarumma

24.01.2018: Parma 3-0 Empoli
- Flying Start To First Half Hands Parma Comfortable Win
2: F. Corapi
10: S. Corazza
12: M. Minesso
Mattia Minesso

27.01.2018: Latina Calcio 1-3 Parma
- Parma Make It Two Successive Victories With Good Performance
14: D. Baumgartner
33: M. Carlini
42: N. Belloni
44: N. Belloni
Niccolo Belloni

League Table

Player of the Month

Alessio Innocenti

The Argentine midfielder who signed for the club back in Parma’s Serie D days has been in fine form in January, scoring in the 2-1 defeat to Perugia but impressing in a deep lying playmaker role during the two consecutive victories against Empoli and Latina and showcasing why manager Paolo Vanoli has kept him at the club for so long.

Injuries

Yoan Severin. The young French defender is sidelined again, this time with damaged knee ligaments meaning he will miss the next 6 to 7 weeks of the season with the injury.

Next Month

The pressure ramps up again in February with five fixtures, starting against Chievo at the Ennio Tardini on the 3rd February. Two away games against Virtus Lanciano and Ternana follow in which Parma will be hoping to play well and secure three points in both. Next up, rivals Modena visit the Ennio Tardini before Paolo Vanoli’s men finish the month against Ascoli, away from home at the end of the month.

Other News

01.01.2018: Carmine Falso was today appointed as manager of Hellas Verona, leaving Benavente Calcio to take over at the former Serie A Champions who are in danger of being relegated from Serie B this year.
24.01.2018: Pierpaolo Bisoli was today sacked as manager of Virtus Lanciano with the club looking threatened by relegation, sitting 20th in the Serie B table.

Manager’s Thoughts

Well if this is the month where we overcame our wobble then we can be very pleased that we have come away with two wins from three games. It looked very concerning after the Perugia game and I don’t think anyone would be blamed for thinking we might be in for a rough ride. But the lads have responded well and when the pressure was on when we met Empoli they turned on the style and played some brilliant football that got us a very important victory. We’re comfortably in the top two as it stands and with a huge game against Chievo coming up, the hope now is of course that we continue to win games and keep moving clear. We’re desperate for promotion to Serie A because that is where the club belongs, and although we might not have started the season with that expectation, the more this season progresses and we continue to occupy a place in the top two, the more the dream of playing top flight football next year, continues to grow.

SERIE B PREVIEW: PARMA VS. MODENA

Date: 24 February 2018
Kick Off: 15:00


Parma
Based In: Parma
Position: 2nd
Manager: Paolo Vanoli
Captain: Raffaele Di Gennaro
Key Player: Yves Baraye
Injuries & Suspensions: Raffaele Di Gennaro, Yoan Severin, Federico Piovaccari Pedro Pereira, Niccolo Belloni
Last Match: 1-0 Vs. Ternana Calcio
Form:

Fans Prediction: ”We’ve picked our form up again of late and we’re looking like a good side again. The performance levels are back and as a result we’re picking up plenty of points that are now taking us towards promotion. Beating our rivals here is a must and if we can do it we’ll be well on our way. Hernan Crespo is a club legend but we still need the three points here, and I think we’ll get it.”


Modena
Based In: Modena
Position: 14th
Manager: Hernan Crespo
Captain: Daniele Galloppa
Key Player: Andrea Mazzarani
Injuries & Suspensions: Antonino Barilla, Wilfred Osuji
Last Match: 1-0 Vs. Virtus Lanciano
Form:

Fans Prediction: ”The feeling amongst our fans is that we should be doing that little bit better. However we’re giving Hernan Crespo the benefit of the doubt and personally I think we’re doing okay. I couldn’t see us as the kind of team who could achieve much more than we are doing and if we were promoted to Serie A it would be a massive miracle. Parma seem to have found a way of winning games after a little slump and to be honest I see that continuing here to be honest.”

FEBRUARY UPDATE

Results

03.02.2018: Parma 1-1 Chievo Verona
- Mattia Minesso Rescues Point For Parma
37: K. Zommers
45+1: M. Minesso
Mattia Minesso

10.02.2018: Virtus Lanciano 1-2 Parma
- Parma Take All Three Points In Entertaining Game
18: A. Arighini
19: Y. Baraye
40: M. Minesso
Yves Baraye

17.02.2018: Ternana 0-1 Parma
- Mattia Minesso Continues Fine Form With Winner Against Ternana
23: M. Minesso
90+2: N. Belloni
Niccolo Belloni

24.02.2018: Parma 1-0 Modena
- Kevin Mendez’s Second Goal Of The Season Moves Parma 7 Points Clear
79: K. Mendez
Jean Marc Favre

27.02.2018: Ascoli 2-0 Parma
- Parma Struggle Against Promotion Chasers And Lose Ground In Race
6: O. El Hasni
74: M. Pugliese
Leonardo Gatto

League Table

Player of the Month

Mattia Minesso

The midfielder who has often this season spent times on the subs bench has earnt his place in the starting XI again with some fantastic performances, achieving a 7.5 rating in every game this month, except the 2-0 defeat to Ascoli and scored three goals over the course of the month as Parma maintained their promotion winning form.

Injuries

Raffaele Di Gennaro. The former Internazionale goalkeeper has missed the whole of February with a sprained ankle and may still miss the first game of March, as he is out of action for a further week, although his return is long awaited by Parma fans.

Next Month

Another five games as the clock starts ticking down to the end of the season as we enter the business end of the season. 14 games left, and over the course of the month, Parma will play four sides that will all be trying to achieve promotion or a potential play off spot, starting with a home game against Livorno before Paolo Vanoli’s side visit Spezia. The only side Parma will play that don’t have promotion aims are Vicenza who visit the Ennio Tardini on the 24th before two fixtures in the space of three days against Trapani and table toppers Cesena close out a month which could be make or break for Parma in their bid to earn promotion to Serie A.

Other News

15.02.2018: Struggling Virtus Lanciano ended their search for a new manager today by appointing former Real Madrid, Parma and AC Milan forward Antonio Cassano as their new manager in his first managerial role.

Manager’s Thoughts

A good month in terms of results and one where the performance levels have risen another notch again. All games except the game against Ascoli where we showed the kind of form that saw us slip up against the promotion chasers and we have to sort that out once again and make sure that going into a huge month next month, that we pick up as many points as possible because if we have a poor month our bid for promotion could be seriously derailed. However I am confident in my team and I believe they can get the results we need against some good teams and maintain our bid to be playing top flight football last year.

SERIE B PREVIEW: PARMA VS. AC CESENA

Date: 31 March 2018
Kick Off: 15:00


Parma
Based In: Parma
Position: 2nd
Manager: Paolo Vanoli
Captain: Raffaele Di Gennaro
Key Player: Niccolo Belloni
Injuries & Suspensions: N/A
Last Match: 1-0 Vs. AC Cesena
Form:

Fans Prediction: ”We seem to have once again recovered from a dip in form and that is relieving. Defensively, the last two games have been a lot better and the boys have been stubborn, and getting the victory over Trapani last time out was a massive sigh of relief for the club and for us fans and now we can be a little bit more confident going into this game. Win it and we’ll close the gap on Cesena, lose it and we’re right back in the mix for second and could still slip up. Personally I think this game will be a boring draw with neither sides taking the three points, which to be fair will keep us in second so fine by me.”


AC Cesena
Based In: Cesena
Position: 1st
Manager: Roberto Beni
Captain: Gabriele Perico
Key Player: Youssef Maleh
Injuries & Suspensions: Federico Varano
Last Match: 3-2 Vs. Virtus Lanciano
Form:

Fans Prediction: ”As it stands both us and Parma will be meeting each other in Serie A next year so I think both of us would take a point to keep our brilliant campaigns going. Neither side thought we’d be anywhere near the top of the table at the start of the season and it’s been a great season. Parma have stumbled a little but still look like a good bet and if we can capitalise on that instability and inconsistency of late then we’ll get the victory.”