Newly promoted Italian Serie A side Parma have been handed a five-point deduction for the new season after they were found guilty of attempted match-fixing by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).

The match-fixing attempt was allegedly made by the club’s 36-year-old striker Emmanuel Calaio.

He was slapped with a two-year ban in addition to a fine of €20,000.

Calaio was said to have sent messages to former teammates at Spezia, Claudio Terzi and Filippo De Col, before both clubs met in a Serie B clash last season.

Parma won 2-0 to secure their return to top flight football after a three-year absence.

The club went out of business and were subsequently demoted to Serie D before achieving three back-to-back promotions to seal their Serie A spot.

Parma have already revealed that they will be appealing the verdict through a club statement.

The statement read: “We believe that the sentence handed to our registered player Emanuele Calaio with respect to the facts that led to the legal process is abnormal, unjust and inconsistent with recent decisions made in sporting justice, considering the extremely heavy sanction applied to our club on the grounds of objective responsibility.

“We believe that Parma Calcio 1913’s total lack of involvement in any unlawful behaviour will be recognised by the Federal Court of Appeal which we will approach in the shortest time possible in the hope of finding justice.” It concluded.