Marchionni on Parma’s Villa draw

Marco Marchionni said Parma are “only at 70 per cent” after their 0-0 draw with Aston Villa in Birmingham.

“It is always a pleasure to play football in England, as the pitch is always perfect and there are people in the stands even for friendlies,” Marchionni told the official Parma website.

Marco Marchionni said Parma are “only at 70 per cent” after their 0-0 draw with Aston Villa in Birmingham.

“It is always a pleasure to play football in England, as the pitch is always perfect and there are people in the stands even for friendlies,” Marchionni told the official Parma website.

“We did well, created chances and allowed Villa few scoring opportunities. That’s important considering they are a week away from the start of the Premier League.

“As a collective we are growing after recent friendly outings, when our legs were still very heavy from pre-season fitness work.

“I’d say we are only at 70 per cent right now. We need to improve a great deal, especially in our sharpness when finishing, but at this stage of the year we cannot hope to be anywhere near perfect.”