A new beginning rooted in a glorious past. Nevio Scala takes the helm of Parma Legends for their first-ever fixture on Sunday 30 November at Lyon as part of the celebrations for the French club’s 75th anniversary. “I’ve been brought in with great passion and enthusiasm,” he says. Not particularly fond of technology, Scala now finds himself flooded with messages from his former players, the ones who make up this historic squad. “I’m getting hundreds of messages from them, and it’s wonderful: players of real quality, on and off the pitch, with values that really matter.”

THE BEAUTY OF NORMALITY: TRAINING AMONG THE LOCALS

When you think of Parma in the 1990s, trophies, champions and European nights come to mind. Yet the team’s real secret lay in the normality of daily life and their connection with the city. “Training in a public park would be unthinkable today, but for us it was normal and even fun. The players would sign autographs for mums with prams and for the elderly playing cards, who would occasionally stop to applaud a goal from Melli. We really enjoyed ourselves, without thinking it was anything extraordinary.”

Scala recalls a telling episode from that period: “One day it was raining and the pitch was very heavy. Georges Grün didn’t want to train. I took him aside and said, ‘Georges, you’re the symbol of this team. They love you and respect you as captain. If you don’t train, we’ll lose the next match.’ He caught the meaning behind my words and trained. On Sunday, we crushed our opponents.” Such moments capture the heart of a team that knew how to combine talent, discipline, and a true sense of belonging.

WINS THAT MADE HISTORY

Scala reflects on the Parma’s most important achievements: from promotion to Serie A, to the Club’s first Coppa Italia triumph, and all the way to the Cup Winners’ Cup: “Promotion to Serie A was celebrated by the people of Parma with extraordinary enthusiasm. The whole city gathered in Piazza Garibaldi – it was an incredible party. We were happy with what we’d achieved, but seeing the people rejoice alongside us gave me emotions I will never forget.”

Winning international trophies wasn’t just the result of hard work and patience, but of extraordinary cohesion. “All our triumphs arrived thanks to a group that knew how to live together, making ordinary what today would seem impossible. Through Parma Legends, we get to relive those emotions.”

NO REGRETS

“I have no regrets, only extraordinary memories. Could we have won the Scudetto? Perhaps, but the victories we did achieve were incredible and made history. Happiness, for me, doesn’t come from football. I was happy as a child growing up in the countryside, when I met my wife, when my children were born. Football was a wonderful chapter and brought me so many emotions, but true happiness is the sum of all the gifts the Lord has given me.”

CHAMPIONS

Among the stars of that Parma side was Faustino Asprilla. “Tino joined us as a young boy – poor but humble. He worked hard, integrated into the group, and made Parma fall in love with him through his goals and spectacular skills. Unfortunately, he lost a bit of perspective on what he could have become, but there was no question about his talent as a player. There are so many funny moments I remember from the dressing room – for example, him eating his fine tickets together with captain Minotti.”

Then there’s Gigi Buffon, who made his debut against Milan at just 17. Scala recalls those days: “We used to bombard him with corners and penalties in training, and he wouldn’t concede. My staff and I kept saying, ‘This kid is a phenomenon’. Then, on Friday and Saturday, the same situations arose, and he showed the same composure. The night before the match, I let Nista know my decision, and he accepted it with great maturity, saying that he too had seen what I had noticed in the boy. When the stadium announcer called out Buffon in goal, there was a very strange silence – nobody expected it. Then Gigi preserved the result with incredible saves to deny Baggio and Weah.”

A TRULY SPECIAL PARMA SIDE

Looking at the present and modern football, Scala doesn’t feel he can compare that Parma side to any other team. “That Parma is inimitable. In seven years, we won everything: promotion to Serie A, the Coppa Italia, the Cup Winners’ Cup, the European Super Cup, and the UEFA Cup. It’s hard to compare it to any other team, even though I have the deepest respect for all the coaches who have accomplished great things.”