Collecchio, 21 March 2025 – Cristian Chivu's Parma has been strengthening an aspect of the game that the manager mastered throughout his playing career: defence and the defensive phase. Cristian, formerly a top full-back in Europe, has balanced the team's defence, making it more solid and strong thanks to the daily work of his staff, but also, above all due to the Gialloblu defender's drive to improve, day in day out, to achieve their common goal.

The numbers don't cover everything, but they do give clear proof of the team's progress: five points in the last four games with an average of 1.25 games per match and only four goals conceded. It is a true turnaround, from the entire defence, made up of strong players such as captain Enrico Delprato, Emanuele Valeri and Botond Balogh.

The match against Juventus on 30 October 2024 was a genuine test for Parma and their captain. Enrico Delprato scored a historical goal, with his strike inside three minutes that was Parma's second fastest goal ever against Juventus in Serie A history. Only Enrico Chiesa, back in 1995, managed to score faster with a goal inside two minutes.

The 1999-born defender, with his goal against Juve, became only the second Parma defender in history to score against the Bianconeri in the league, after Cristian Molinaro in 2014. With four goals scored that season, Delprato was one of the Gialloblu's most prolific defenders. Only Cristian Zaccardo e Néstor Sensini scored more with five in their retrospective seasons.

Not only goals, but also assists: Emanuele Valeri, a pivot of the Gialloblu defense, has got four assists so far this season, a record that puts him alongside some of Parma's best Italian defenders in recent history. The last Italian players to provide more assists than him in a single season are Marco Parolo, Mattia Cassani and Antonio Cassano, all in 2013/14. His ability to help in the offensive transition is an asset to the team which shows how Parma are building a defence that know how to break forward.

Selected by Hungarian national team manager Marco Rossi for the two-legged tie against Turkey, Botond Balogh is a wall that blocks any opposition attempt in the area. With 122 defensive clearances (58 headers), Balogh is in seventh place in terms of the most effective defenders in Serie A, led by Empoli's Ardian Ismajli. His presence in the area is key in keeping our team's defence solid.

Parma are building a team capable of defending solidly and the growth of players like Delprato, Valeri and Balogh is proof that all of our players are working to strengthen our play in the defensive phase, day by day.

The Gialloblu's nine 'cup finals' are coming up soon.