Team Overview: Parma, founded in 1913, debuted in Serie A in 1990. Although the Ducali have limited experience in the top tier, they enjoyed some excellent seasons, especially in Cup play. They have won the Coppa Italia three times in the last 15 years and hoisted the UEFA Winner’s Cup in 1993. Now, they will be in Serie A again.
Top Performers: Igor Budan notched seven goals for the team, while Andrea Gasbarroni dismantled defenses with 5 goals and 5 assists. While those stats aren’t “eye-popping”, Luca Bucci (whose name sounds like that of a mobster henchman) did have some startlingly good goalkeeping stats. He only ceded 0.93 goals per game.
Highest Highs: Parma was the strongest Serie B side at home this year. The Ducali won twelve matchs, tied nine and never lost on their pitch. They also finished the season with flair, closing out the season with eighteen straight unbeaten matches. They were promoted due to their amazing defense, who led the league conceding only 34 goals.
Lowest Lows: Parma played very consistently at the end of the season, but they also suffered too many draws over the span of the year. They tied 19 of their 42 matches, and seven draws were bunched in the end of the season. They were OK on the road (7 wins, 10 draws, 4 losses), but they will need more in 2009/2010 against Serie A foes.
Future Outlook: Parma tied for the league lead in goals scored (65), but the Ducali will need to score more often next year in order to avoid relegation in Serie A. The club didn’t have a single player this year who reached the 10 goal mark, and they never really picked up any blowout wins over lesser competition. They need more offense. They need to return to their form of the 1990’s.
