Franchise Notes: Serie A Side Parma's Crisis Deepens As FIGC Docks Points

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has announced that "financially-stricken" Serie A side Parma has "been hit with a further two-point penalty for failing to pay players' salaries." Parma, bottom of Serie A, is now 15 points away from safety and "looked doomed to relegation although of far more concern is the bankruptcy hearing set for March 19" (REUTERS, 3/14). ... Sauber F1 Team and its dropped driver Giedo van der Garde agreed to a "last-minute deal in court" to avert a "disaster for the team in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix." Lawyers for both sides were "vague on the details but a threat for bailiffs to seize Sauber's cars -- and even arrest team principal Monisha Kaltenborn -- has been called off." The settlement seems "likely to involve some compensation for the Dutch driver and could potentially see him race later in the season" (London TELEGRAPH, 3/14).