Parma Calcio 1913

Parma Calcio 1913 is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia-Romagna. They play in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian league system. The club was founded in December 1913, and the current team began in 2015.

The team has played home matches at the 27,906-seat Stadio Ennio Tardini since 1923, often called Il Tardini. From 1992 to 2002, the club had a successful period, winning eight important trophies and finishing second in the league during the 1996–97 season. Their trophies include three Coppa Italia, one Supercoppa Italiana, two UEFA Cups, one European Super Cup, and one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

The club faced money problems after the Parmalat scandal in late 2003, which caused its parent company to collapse. This led to the club operating under special supervision until 2007. In 2015, the club was declared bankrupt and restarted in a lower league, but they worked hard and achieved three straight promotions to return to the top league in 2018.

History

Main article: History of Parma Calcio 1913

Early years (1913–1968)

The club started in July 1913 as Verdi Foot Ball Club to honor the famous composer Giuseppe Verdi, who was born in the province of Parma. The team chose yellow and blue as its colors.

Later that year, Parma Foot Ball Club was created and began wearing white shirts with a black cross. Parma started playing league football in the 1919–20 season after World War I ended. Construction began on their stadium, Stadio Ennio Tardini, two years later. Parma joined Serie B after finishing second in the Prima Divisione in the 1928–29 season. The club stayed in Serie B for three years before being moved down and changing its name in 1930. In the 1935–36 season, Parma joined Serie C, where they stayed until moving back up to Serie B. Italian football stopped because of World War II, though the team played in a competition in 1944.

After football started again, Parma spent three years in Serie B before being split into two regional groups, then moved down to Serie C in 1948–49. The team spent five more years in Serie C before spending eleven years in Serie B. This was a time when players often had other jobs or were still in school, and the town’s amateur rugby and volleyball teams were more popular. Parma played in European competition for the first time in the 1960–61 season but was moved down to Serie C in 1964–65. Parma spent just one year in Serie C before being moved down again to Serie D in 1966.

Rebirth and improvement (1968–1989)

The club faced problems and was ordered to close by the court in Parma in 1968, changing its name to Parma Football Club that year. In 1969, another local team, Associazione Calcio Parmense, won the chance to move up to Serie D. On January 1, 1970, A.C. Parmense took over the old club’s rights, allowing it to use the Crociata shirts, badge, and city name. This brought good luck, and the team won Serie D and moved up to Serie C, then to Serie B, though it was moved back down after just one season. The team returned to Serie B in the late 1970s but lasted only one season again.

Under Cesare Maldini, Parma won its division in 1984 and returned to Serie B, but was moved down again after one year. Arrigo Sacchi brought the team back to Serie B in 1986 after one year in the third tier. That season, they almost moved up to the top league but missed by three points and defeated A.C. Milan in the Coppa Italia. Sacchi’s replacement, Zdeněk Zeman, was fired after seven matches and replaced by Giampieri Vitali, who led the team to two middle-place finishes.

Success and insolvency (1989–2004)

Nevio Scala became the coach in 1989. Under Scala, Parma earned a historic move up to Serie A in 1990. Support from the parent company Parmalat helped the team, and Parma played in UEFA competition for the first time in 1991. Scala led the club to its first four major trophies. The first was the Coppa Italia in 1991–92. The next year brought the first international win, the Cup Winners’ Cup. The following season, the team won the European Super Cup. Scala’s last success was another win against Juventus, with Dino Baggio scoring twice, though Juventus won the Coppa Italia final.

Scala left in 1996 and was replaced by Carlo Ancelotti, who led the team to a record second-place finish in 1996–97 and entered the UEFA Champions League the next year. Alberto Malesani became coach in 1998, and the club won a rare double that season, taking the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup, followed by the 1999 Supercoppa Italiana. In 2000, Hernán Crespo was sold to Lazio for a world record fee, and Malesani left.

Under Renzo Ulivieri, the team lost the Coppa Italia final. With Pietro Carmignani in 2002, Parma won the Coppa Italia again but finished lower in the league. This success earned the team a place among the “Seven Sisters.” In April 2004, the club closed due to Parmalat’s financial collapse and went into special administration for three years.

Rebirth and another bankruptcy (2004–2015)

The club was re-formed as Parma Football Club SpA in June 2004 and had its lowest finish in Serie A during the 2004–05 season. The team ended the next season in tenth place but returned to European competition in 2006 after the Calciopoli scandal.

On January 24, 2007, Tommaso Ghirardi bought the club and became its owner and president. Claudio Ranieri helped the team avoid moving down to Serie B on the last day of the 2006–07 season. However, the next year, Parma could not avoid relegation and moved to Serie B after 18 years in the top league.

Francesco Guidolin led the team back to Serie A at the first try with a second-place finish and guided them to eighth place in 2009–10, nearly qualifying for the UEFA Europa League before leaving for Udinese. In May 2010, Guidolin swapped jobs with Pasquale Marino, who was fired in April 2011 during another battle to avoid relegation. Franco Colomba took over and kept the team up with two games to go. In January 2012, Colomba was replaced by Roberto Donadoni after a poor run, and Donadoni led the team to eighth place with a club record seven-game winning streak.

In 2014, Donadoni led Parma to sixth place in Serie A but missed out on Europa League because of late tax payments. Financial troubles led to several ownership changes and the club’s bankruptcy in March 2015. The club finished last in the league but was allowed to complete the season. Some trophies were sold to raise money.

Another rebirth (2015–present)

The new club, S.S.D. Parma Calcio 1913, was formed in July 2015, taking its name from the original founding year, and joined the 2015–16 Serie D. In its first season, it sold over 9,000 season tickets and earned promotion to Lega Pro with three games to spare, finishing first with 94 points from 38 games and an unbeaten run of 28 wins and 10 draws.

Parma ended the 2016–17 Lega Pro season in second place but won promotion to Serie B after a 2–0 victory in the promotion final. On May 18, 2018, Parma achieved promotion to Serie A for the 2018–19 season, just three seasons after going bankrupt and dropping to Serie D.

In July 2018, Parma had a 5-point deduction for the 2018–19 Serie A season removed. In their first season back in Serie A, they finished 14th, three points above the relegation zone.

For the 2019–20 Serie A season, Parma finished 11th with 49 points. Dejan Kulusevski, on loan from Atalanta, won the Best Young Player award in Serie A.

Before the 2020–21 Serie A season, Roberto D’Aversa was fired and replaced by Fabio Liverani, who was later replaced by D’Aversa again. Parma finished last that season and moved down to Serie B. In September 2020, Parma was bought by American Kyle Krause.

Enzo Maresca became the new coach for the 2021–22 Serie B season but was fired and replaced by Giuseppe Iachini. Parma finished 12th that season. Franco Vázquez was among the top scorers with 14 goals. Fabio Pecchia took over as coach for the 2022–23 Serie B season. Parma was promoted back to Serie A the next season. In the 2024-2025 Serie A season, they finished 16th after firing Pecchia and hiring Cristian Chivu.

Colours and badge

Parma Calcio 1913 started with blue and yellow chequered shirts to honor the city's traditional colors. They switched to white shirts with a black cross after the First World War, inspired by Juventus. Over the years, they used different combinations of white, yellow, and blue.

When Parma was promoted to the top league in 1990, they wore yellow and blue hooped shirts at home for six seasons. They are known as the Gialloblù (Yellow and Blues). They later returned to white shirts with a cross, but yellow and blue remain their traditional away colors.

The club's logo has changed a few times. In 2005, it was updated to show the city’s yellow and blue colors with the traditional black cross on a white background. There was a short period when a prancing bull was used, but it was not popular. The club introduced new badges in the 2014–15 season and again in 2015.

Kit manufacturers and sponsors

Grounds

Main articles: Stadio Ennio Tardini and Centro Sportivo di Collecchio

Parma didn’t have a permanent home at first and played on a field called Piazza d'Armi. Later, they used land near a road and a factory but had to return to Piazza d'Armi. They then moved to Tre Pioppi, the first fenced field in the city. In 1923, Parma moved into the Stadio Ennio Tardini, where they still play today. The stadium changed a lot, especially after the team was promoted to Serie A in the early 1990s.

Since 1996, the team has trained and played friendly matches at the Centro Sportivo di Collecchio in Collecchio, which is about 15 kilometers southwest of the stadium. The youth teams also play there. Younger youth teams used to train at Campi Stuard but now train at Collecchio. In 2018, Parma bought the training center.

Support

Parma's fans love the game and stay loyal, even during hard times. In 2015, they bought more season tickets than the year before, even after the team moved to a lower league because of money problems. In Northeast Italy, Parma is popular, though not as much as Inter Milan, Juventus, Milan, or Bologna.

The team has three main fan groups. The largest is the Centro di Coordinamento dei Parma Club. Another is called l'Associazione Petitot, and there is also a group of enthusiastic fans called the Boys Parma, formed in 1977. They sit in a special part of the stadium called La Curva Nord. The number 12 shirt is saved just for the fans, meaning no player wears that number. Parma's fan song is called Il grido di battaglia, meaning "The Battle Cry".

Rivalries

Main articles: Derby dell'Enza and Derby dell'Emilia

Parma has strong rivalries with nearby teams. Their biggest rival is Reggiana, because of a long rivalry between the cities of Parma and Reggio Emilia. They also have intense matches against Bologna, Modena, and Piacenza. Even teams farther away, like Juventus, Cremonese, and Carrarese, are seen as rivals.

Sometimes, clubs form friendly ties called gemellaggi. Parma has a friendly relationship with Empoli, starting after a foggy game in 1984–85. They also feel a bond with Sampdoria fans.

Ownership and finances

In 1991, a big Italian food company bought the club. This helped the team, but the company later had money problems. In 2004, the club could not pay its debts and needed help.

In 2007, a new owner bought the club and tried to fix its money problems. Over the years, the club changed owners many times and had more money troubles. In 2015, the club could not pay its debts and had to close. A new club started the same year with help from local businessmen and fans.

In 2017, a Chinese businessman bought most of the club, but local owners took control again. Today, the club is owned by a group that includes local businessmen and fans.

Players

Current squad

As of 5 February 2026

Note: Flags show the teams players can play for under FIFA eligibility rules. Some players may have more than one nationality.

Primavera

As of 22 November 2025

Note: Flags show the teams players can play for under FIFA eligibility rules. Some players may have more than one nationality.

Out on loan

As of 6 February 2026

Note: Flags show the teams players can play for under FIFA eligibility rules. Some players may have more than one nationality.

Retired numbers

See also: Retired numbers in football

6 – The club retired this number after their captain Alessandro Lucarelli stopped playing. Lucarelli played the most games for the club and stayed with the team from 2015 to 2018.

12 – Since the 2002–03 season, Curva Nord at the Stadio Ennio Tardini has been called the 12th man to honor the fans who sit there.

Former players

For details of former players, see List of Parma Calcio 1913 players and Category:Parma Calcio 1913 players.

Club captains

For a list of club captains, see List of Parma Calcio 1913 players § Club captains.

Player records

For player records, including player awards, see List of Parma Calcio 1913 statistics and records § Players.

Club officials

The team is owned by Kyle Krause from the United States. He is also the president of the club.

Coaching staff

Chairmen history

Parma has had many leaders over the years, and there is a complete list of them available.

Coaching history

Main article: List of Parma F.C. managers

Here is a list of the coaches who have worked with Parma since after the First World War until today.

Honours

Parma has won eight big prizes in its history, all between 1992 and 2002. These wins make it one of the best teams in Italian football.

National

League

• Serie A
  • Runners-up: 1996–97
• Serie B
  • Winners: 2023–24
  • Runners-up: 2008–09, 2017–18
• Serie C
  • Winners: 1953–54, 1972–73, 1983–84, 1985–86
• Serie D
  • Winners: 1969–70, 2015–16

Cups

• Coppa Italia
  • Winners: 1991–92, 1998–99, 2001–02
  • Runners-up: 1994–95, 2000–01
• Supercoppa Italiana
  • Winners: (/wiki/1999_Supercoppa_Italiana)
  • Runners-up: (/wiki/1992_Supercoppa_Italiana), (/wiki/1995_Supercoppa_Italiana), (/wiki/2002_Supercoppa_Italiana)

European

• UEFA Cup
  • Winners: 1994–95, 1998–99
• European Cup Winners' Cup
  • Winners: 1992–93
  • Runners-up: 1993–94
• European Super Cup
  • Winners: (/wiki/1993_European_Super_Cup)

Others

• Parmalat Cup
  • Winners : 1995

Divisional movements