Bankrupt Parma stun Serie A champions Juventus

Rome, April 12: The crisis-hit Parma stun the Italian Serie A leaders Juventus with an incredible 1-0 here.

Jose Mauri scored the only goal of the game and his second one for Parma on the hour mark, while a string of fine saves from Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante also helped Parma to win on Saturday.

Juventus, on the other hand, suffered their first league defeat since last October.

Parma club was declared bankrupt last month and its players stay unpaid for all season. But it has now strung a series of positive results together, with a 1-0 victory over Udinese midweek and last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Inter Milan.

However, it is too early to celebrate. Parma are still at bottom of the table, 10 points from safety, with nine matches remaining

“We are far from safety but I think it’s right to give credit to our lads who have done something extraordiry. We want to finish this season with our heads held high,” said Roberto Dodoni, coach of Parma.

Days before UEFA Champions League quarter-fil, Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri rested a number of regulars and important players such as Gianluigi Buffon, Carlos Tevez and Andrea Barzagli.

“We didn’t do anything in the second half and deserved the defeat,” said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri. “Parma played well, while we were slow and risked conceding on three or four counter-attacks. We didn’t control the game at all, as even in the first half Parma were dangerous.”

“This was the match we had to play with maturity. Even if we couldn’t win it, then we certainly shouldn’t have lost,” said Allegri.

With first league defeat in 164 days, Juventus remain 14 points clear at the top of the table. IANS