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Albanian oil tycoon Rezart Taci is reported to be behind the Cypriot-Russian consortium who recently acquired Serie A club Parma, although the 43-year-old is continuing to keep a low profile. Taci, who was once keen on buying AC Milan from Silvio Berlusconi and still owns a small stake in the Rossoneri, is said to be the main investor in the Gialloblu and, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, he could soon be named the club's new president. Parma's debts and outstanding tax payments were wiped out by the consortium when they bought out Tommaso Ghirardi's controlling stake prior to Christmas. The Serie A strugglers have already been docked one point for failing to pay wages on time, while a further two-point deduction is likely to be sanctioned after the club admitted it had defaulted on further wage payments since then. Parma currently sit at the bottom of Serie A with just six points. They have won only twice this season and are already nine points adrift of safety, although the takeover has raised spirits at the club and given them belief they can recover in the second half of the season. To help in that undertaking, the new owners are reported to be making funds available to coach Roberto Donadoni to spend in the transfer market this winter. Roma forward Marco Borriello and Inter Milan defender Hugo Campagnaro are the first names to be linked with the club, who face Fiorentina in their first game of 2015 on Jan. 6. They then travel to Hellas Verona before back-to-back home games against Sampdoria and Cesena.
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