Parma sets November deadline for talks over Adrian Bernabè’s contract

Parma has set November as the deadline for discussions over Adrian Bernabè’s contract. The club wants to clarify the midfielder’s future before the November international break, sporting director Federico Cherubini said. Bernabè’s situation matters to Parma, whose supporters are keen for him to remain part of the club’s project.

Cherubini said Parma hoped to meet the player’s representative, but personal issues affecting the agent had made it difficult to arrange an appointment. “We hope to meet the agent,” he said, adding: “I use the conditional because, due to some issues on his side, it has not been possible to organise the meeting.”

The sporting director said he had set himself a deadline before the November break. In his view, players nearing the end of their contracts deserve a clear discussion about whether an extension is possible. “It is right to sit down and speak frankly, with complete transparency, to see whether the conditions are there for a renewal or not,” he said. “If they are not, we will deal with the situation. Remaining in limbo helps nobody. We need clarity.” Parma wants to prevent the matter from dragging on, and Cherubini said the club would provide an update after meeting the representative.

Asked whether Bernabè’s attitude had raised concerns about a possible extension, Cherubini said he saw no problem with it. However, he believes the club should speak to the representative first, as the meeting has yet to take place.

The discussion also turned to Parma’s approach after a change of direction under Carlos Cuesta. Cherubini said the club had sought to combine greater defensive solidity with a different style of play, while stressing that the change of system had not been imposed by the hierarchy. “Nobody ever imposed one formation or another on the team,” he said.

He explained that Cuesta had reflected on the change himself and wanted to take a different path, feeling that Chivu’s approach was not truly his own, regardless of the results. Parma now wants to pair defensive improvement with a greater attacking threat. “We hope to become a Parma side that is difficult to play against again,” Cherubini said, adding that signs of greater attacking danger would need to be matched by defensive solidity.