Parma Associazione Calcio regained its respect following a lacklustre Serie A and Champions League performance the year before.

Mutu scored 18 goals from the left wing, and Parma accepted a multimillion-pound offer from Chelsea in the summer, which meant the Romanian international only spent a year at the club.

Also impressing were goalkeeper Sébastien Frey and young centre-halves Matteo Ferrari and Daniele Bonera, who proved to be acceptable replacements for departed captain Fabio Cannavaro, who had joined Inter in late August 2002.

Parma finished fifth in Serie A and missed out on Champions League qualification to Lazio by four points.

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