How Parma got back to Serie A: Krause family's impact, Gigi Buffon's legacy, an ambitious manager and more

Parma are back in the Italian Serie A and looking to stay there. A proud, historic club that fell on hard times is now back on the big stage and aiming to build upon its American-led foundation in pursuit of stability. The Crociati are one of the most historical sides of Italian soccer that reached their peak in the 1990s when they were one of the best teams not only in Italy but also around Europe. Parma, during those years, managed to win two UEFA Cups, one European Supercup, three Coppa Italia and one Supercoppa Italiana, but most notably saw some of the best world players in their teams: Lilian Thuram, Adriano, Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluigi Buffon, Hernan Crespo, Juan Sebastian Veron, Enrico Chiesa, just to name some.

Now, on Saturday they'll host AC Milan in a huge Matchday 2 clash live on CBS.

Here's what to know:

How to watch Parma vs. AC Milan on CBS

• Date : Saturday, Aug. 24 | Time : 12:30 p.m. ET
• Location : Stadio Ennio Tardini -- Parma, Italy
• TV: CBS Live stream: Paramount+
• Odds: Parma +300; Draw +175; AC Milan -105

From the top to the bottom

Parma was a place were talents became stars before joining other teams around Italy and Europe, but then it started a slow decline with the end of the Calisto Tanzi's ownership in 2004. It seemed the lowest point of Parma's history -- it was not. Ten years later, in 2014, Parma achieved a historical European qualification after finishing sixth in the league, but the club saw their UEFA license denied due to some irregular payments and it was only the beginning of the financial issues that culminated with Parma facing bankruptcy in March 2015. The club had to start again from the fourth division but in three years the Crociati were able to be back in the Italian Serie A, becoming the first-ever Italian side to achieve this incredible success.

Over the years, the majority of the club was always in control of local businessmen who wanted to bring back the club to the Italian Serie A from the fourth division, but in 2020 the American businessman Kyle Krause took over control of Parma, becoming the owner. The Krause family immediately settled in the Parma world, but it wasn't an easy start. In fact, despite the investments made in the January transfer window, Parma were relegated to the second division at the end of the first season under Krause.

The Krause era finds success

Since the beginning of their management, Krause and his family believed in some key principles for their project: sustainability and ambition. For sure, it took them more than expected to make their comeback to the Italian Serie A, but they did it with their ideas and principles. It's not a coincidence that when Parma were relegated to the second division, the club decided to appoint former Manchester City assistant manager Enzo Maresca, who's now coaching Chelsea after his exciting spell at Leicester in the past season. Maresca at Parma didn't work out, but it doesn't change much the fact that Parma saw the potential in Maresca. Maybe it was just too early.

Another example? In the 2021 January transfer window Parma's sporting directors decided to sign a young talent that couldn't find much space at Bayern Munich. It was Joshua Zirkzee, who was one of the best players in the Serie A last season and then moved to Manchester United this summer after the Red Devils paid around $50 million to sign him. Parma knew before everyone he was a talent that could become a star.

Besides the young players, Krause wanted to sign an iconic player as well. In the summer of 2021, former club legend and soccer star Gigi Buffon made his comeback at Parma, where he started his professional career before winning everything and playing for Juventus, PSG and the Italian national team for over 20 years. Buffon's comeback at Parma had a deep meaning for both Krause and the goalkeeper, but it was also important for the club considering their recent relegation to the Serie B.

The new ownership also started to improve the club in other areas. Parma created from zero their women's team that is currently playing in the women's Serie B, while Krause immediately started to work on the project regarding a new stadium, one of the biggest issues not only for Parma but for most of the Italian teams. Meanwhile, the clear goal was to be back to the Serie A as soon as possible.

Parma are back

After one difficult season in the Serie B, Parma found themselves with a manager like Fabio Pecchia. In his first year, Parma arrived fourth in the league and lost in the playoff semifinals, but one year later it was all different. Parma dominated the league and got promoted after winning the Italian Serie B title in the past season under Pecchia.

Parma are now back (finally) where they should be. A fanbase that saw some of the best and most iconic players in the 1990s didn't deserve what happened over the past decade. Now they can hope for something better in the future, also thanks to the work of the Krause family who immediately understood the potential of this club, Now sustainable, they are looking for more and a return to their former heights.