Parma vs. Udinese Postponed Due to Players' Unpaid Wages

Parma have been forced to postpone their Serie A match with Udinese this Sunday due to continuing financial troubles which has seen the players not paid since July.

The news was reported by Football Italia on Friday:

Parma's players and staff had recently pushed back their proposed deadline for receiving their outstanding wages—initially set for Monday, Feb 16—having received assurances from club president Giampietro Manenti that he had funds available, per Ben Gladwell on ESPN FC.

Manenti, who only recently bought the club, insisted to Parma Today (h/t Gladwell) that wages would be paid, but it seems the money has not come through in time:

"

I really do have the money. I'm not crazy and I'm not bluffing. Do you really think I'd be so stupid? Just let us work. I know how pessimistic you are, but I'm not crazy. You can have your fun now, but once all this is sorted out, I'll tell you what has happened in these days.

"

With stewards and support staff not having been paid, along with the players, the forced postponement of Sunday's game his been deemed necessary, with Italian football expert James Horncastle pithily summarising the club's plight:

Parma are currently rock bottom of Serie A on just 10 points after 23 games, 13 points from safety.

The ramifications of the weekend's cancellation are likely to resonate further much further than simply one missed game, with a points deduction likely with the Italian FA set to take action, per Sky Sports. 

As Horncastle notes, it is a sorry state of affairs for a club with a fine history, who used to challenged both nationally and in Europe back in the 1990s.