5️⃣ things you need to know about Parma - The 90s overacheivers | OneFootball

Every Serie A match is available to watch LIVE with Home of Serie A on OneFootball to users in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

From 25 November to 1 December 2024 we are also running a special Black Week discount on Serie A Season Passes. Find out more here.

To celebrate, we are delving into the history and traditions of some of Serie A's most storied clubs, exploring the beauty and passion which makes them so fascinating and unique.

Today we are looking at...

Who are Parma?

📸 Emmanuele Ciancaglini - 2024 Getty Images

Founded in 1913, Parma are a traditionally smaller Italian club who rocketed to fame in the mid 1990s with their European exploits.

Parma have only spent 27 full seasons in the Italian top flight, but are fondly remembered for winning the UEFA Cup in 1995 and 1999, as well as the Cup Winners Cup and European Super Cup in 1993.

Players such as Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Hernán Crespo, Lilian Thuram and Gianfranco Zola all wore the Gialloblu colours during that period of great success.

More recently, the club has been purchased by American businessman Kyle Krause, and are currently back in Serie A after three seasons away.

What is the Stadio Ennio Tardini like?

📸 Emilio Andreoli - 2021 Getty Images

The Tardini is located right in the city centre and is a sight to behold when the steep Curva Nord is packed with home supporters.

Opened in 1923, the ground was renovated between 1990 and 1993, but is now in need of some more TLC.

Should Parma reach Europe once again, the ground would not meet the current UEFA regulations and significant investment is thought to be needed to sufficiently upgrade the facilities.

Who are their Ultras?

Parma's most famous Ultras group is named Boys Parma 1977, who are apolitical.

The club's main rivals are nearby clubs Reggiana and Bologna, while they have a gemellaggio (twinning) with Spezia, Empoli, Sampdoria and Bordeaux in France.

What is Parma famous for?

📸 CARLO HERMANN - null

Without stating the obvious too much, Parma is famous for its Parma ham and Parmesan cheese.

In the world of football, Carlo Ancelotti came up through the youth ranks at Parma, having been born in nearby Reggiolo. Breaking into the first team in 1976, before earning a move to Roma three years later.

Parma were also synonymous with dairy company Parmalat through the 1990's and 2000's, but a financial fraud case for the company meant that the football club went into administration, and were essentially forced to start from scratch in 2015.

Their biggest achievement?

📸 Clive Brunskill - 2014 Getty Images

Parma's first UEFA Cup win in 1995 was arguably their best achievement in all of their trophy-laden years, and that's because they pulled off a win against a Juventus side at the height of their powers over two legs in the final.

During that campaign, the Torinese giants had won their first Scudetto in nine years and actually beat Parma to lift the Coppa Italia trophy for a league-and-cup double.

That Juve side boasted a razor-sharp attacking trident of Roberto Baggio, Gianluca Vialli and Fabrizio Ravanelli, with the latter having netted 30 goals in that campaign.

Yet Parma – who had Gianfranco Zola and Faustino Asprilla in attack – edged out a 1-0 win at the Tardini in the first leg of the final, and held on to a 1-1 draw  in the second, which was held in front of 80,000 fans at San Siro.

That incredible European night paved the way for further UEFA Cup glory in 1999, when Parma beat Marseille in the final.

📸 Alessandro Sabattini - 2024 Getty Images