Nostalgic five-a-side teams: picking a line-up for … Parma

Rather than delving into the history books, I have decided to stick with players that I have seen play for my Parma five-a-side lineup. I could easily have gone defensive as I reluctantly left out Roberto Sensini, Lilian Thuram, Luigi Apolloni and Antonio Benarrivo. Similarly, I could have gone for all-out attack but left out Faustino Asprilla, Tomas Brolin, Enrico Chiesa and Alberto Gilardino. Special mentions must go to a few of my favourite ever Parma players. The goalkeepers Sébastien Frey and Cláudio Taffarel along with the midfielders Juan Sebastián Verón and Diego Fuser, were all players that I loved to watch.
There could be only one man to play in goal despite my affection for the aforementioned Frey and Taffarel. As far as I am concerned, Gianluigi Buffon is the best goalkeeper of all-time. He made 220 of his career appearances for Parma between 1995 and 2001. He returned to add an extra 45 to that tally between 2021 and 2023 but it will be his first spell at Stadio Ennio Tardini that will be most fondly remembered.
He debuted for the Parma first team under Nevio Scala as a 17-year-old and in that game he set the tone for his career. A shut-out against a Milan side that would go on to become champions that season was as impressive a debut as a teenager could have. His honours in the game are too many to mention but he did pick up three major trophies while in Scala’s late-90s side. The Uefa Cup, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana were the first in a log list of team and individual accolades that Buffon would collect in his career. The word legend gets thrown around a little easily in football. In the case of Buffon, there is no more deserving of the title in his position.
Another of Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning squad makes up a one-man defence in my team. Fabio Cannavaro is more than capable of holding things together at the back in front of his longtime club and international teammate Buffon.
Standing at 5ft 9in, I could have selected bigger defenders. I do not think I could have picked a better one from Parma’s history, though. The former Napoli, Inter, Juventus and Real Madrid defender made 291 appearances for Parma, more than any of his other clubs.
He picked up four trophies there, adding a second Coppa Italia to the same three honours as Buffon picked up. He led Italy to the 2006 World Cup victory as captain and later picked up the Ballon d’Or as he was named the best player on the planet. Cannavaro’s height never prevented him from being good in the air while he was lightening quick across the ground when defending his penalty area. It almost defies explanation that the Parma side including Cannavaro and Buffon did not win a Serie A league title. They may well be the best centre-back and goalkeeper combination in the game’s history.
My midfield consists of a player that I do not think ever really gets the respect and credit that he deserves. Dino Baggio maybe suffered for having the same surname as one of the most talent players his country ever produced. Dino never had the same mercurial talent as Roberto, but he was more than just a good player.
As with Cannavaro, Baggio made more appearances for Parma than any of his other clubs. The midfielder was brought to the club from Juventus by Scala after a good showing at the 1994 USA World Cup. At the end of his first season, he lifted the Uefa Cup with his new club. It was still in the era of a two-leg final and Baggio scored in both matches against his former club as Parma defeated Juventus.
There was not much Baggio could not do. A versatile midfield player who was just as influential defensively as he was causing problems for opponents at the other end of the pitch. Tall and athletic, Baggio could cover a lot of ground while bringing intensity and calmness at the same time. He played over 200 times for the club as well as making 60 appearances for Italy.
My team has a solid base in place so it is time to add some flair in the attacking half. Gianfranco Zola made less than half the Parma appearances that Baggio clocked up. He more than qualifies for my team with just under 100 games. A player that was trusted to replace Diego Maradona in the Napoli No 10 shirt, Zola was bursting with talent.
He arrived at the Ennio Tardini in 1993 after his departure from Napoli where he won the Serie A title in 1990. If he burst on the scene in Naples then his time at Parma could be described as the period where he came of age. He picked up a Uefa Super Cup and the Uefa Cup in his first year as he earned a call-up to Arrigo Sacchi’s 1994 World Cup squad.
The diminutive forward was one of the most exciting players in the league on his day. His low centre of gravity allowing him the ability to twist and turn between defenders. He could play out wide but it was as a striker or second striker in the No 10 position that Zola excelled.
The only non-Italian in my team is my frontman. Crespo left Parma with a goal record of almost one in every two games. His goals helped Parma to three trophies within 100 days as the lifted the Uefa Cup, Supercoppa Italiana and Coppa Italia.
Life at Parma did not start well for the Argentina international. He had to wait six months for his first goal for the club. Crespo was brought to the Ennio Tardini by Carlo Ancelotti from the striker’s homeland where he played for River Plate.
The striker joined Lazio after playing for Parma from 1996 to 2000. Despite playing for several other Italian clubs, Crespo clearly made his mark on the Parma tifosi. He was voted their Player of the Century in 2013, having returned to the club for a brief spell before retiring. The Argentinian forward scored six goals in the 1998-99 Uefa Cup as Parma went all the way to lift the trophy. They defeated Marseille in the final with Crespo scoring the opener.