Former Parma President Tommaso Ghirardi insists Ducali fans should thank him, and hints at dark forces in football.
Ghirardi sold the club last month to a group of Russian and Cypriot investors, with the club recording huge losses and banned from Europe for failing to pay tax, as well as receiving a point deduction.
Former Parma President Tommaso Ghirardi insists Ducali fans should thank him, and hints at dark forces in football.
Ghirardi sold the club last month to a group of Russian and Cypriot investors, with the club recording huge losses and banned from Europe for failing to pay tax, as well as receiving a point deduction.
Despite this, the former patron defends his time at the helm of the club.
“‘They’ wanted to get me out,” Ghirardi intimated in an interview with Corriere Della Sera.
“I no longer believe in football, and I think many other good people will soon be forced to leave. I sold my Parma with normal accounts, there are many Serie A teams who are worse off than us.
“It all began with UEFA denying us a licence, which caused the world to fall in on me. My family told me ‘if all you have is enemies in football, get out’.
“I’ve often wondered why, but it will always remain unexplained to me. To later return as President was my only mistake, and it was a mistake I made with my heart.
“We didn’t pay €100,000 of income tax out of €26m, and we were severely punished, like being given a life sentence for speeding.
“The fans made me feel important, but I should have left at that point.
“I bought the company at auction, revived it and then sold it.
“They should thank me, I only did good things at Parma.”