Share

Parma close in on European places with Lecce win

Milan - Parma closed in on the Europa League berths with a 2-0 win over Lecce that lifted the former UEFA Cup winners to seventh in Serie A on Monday.

Defender Simone Iacoponi nodded in a Hernani corner just before the hour mark with Andreas Cornelius adding a second just after coming off the bench on 72 minutes.

Gervinho was denied a third late by Brazilian keeper Gabriel following an impressive run through the Lecce defence.

Parma overtake Torino and are now just one point behind sixth-placed Cagliari, who occupy the final Europa League spot.

AC Milan and Napoli are four points behind the side from Emilia-Romagna in 10th and 11th position respectively.

"We had to redeem ourselves after the defeat against Atalanta," said Iacoponi after his side lost 5-0 to Atalanta last time out.

During the club's golden era in the 1990s they won the UEFA Cup twice, the European Super Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup.

But they have not competed in European competition since 2007.

They qualified for the 2014–15 Europa League, but were denied a UEFA licence because of a late tax payment of 300,000 euros ($334,000).

The club were declared bankrupt and relegated to Serie D in 2015, returning to the top flight with three straight promotions. They finished 14th last season.

Lecce, from the heel of Italy, fell to their the fourth consecutive defeat and are just one point off the relegation zone.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2249 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE