Bottom-of-the-table Parma have had a Serie A match called off for the second weekend in a row after the squad at the financially-stricken club threatened to strike over unpaid wages.

The Italian football federation (FIGC) agreed yesterday to postpone the game at Genoa in the latest twist to the chaos at the former UEFA Cup winners where the players have not been paid all season.

Last Sunday’s match at home to Udinese was called off because the club could not afford to pay stewards or police.

The situation has reached a point where players have to do their own laundry and team captain Alessandro Lucarelli said yesterday that the team did not want to travel to Genoa.

“We’re not playing on Sunday, we’ve asked for the game to be postponed,” he told the club website (www.fcparma.com) yesterday.

“If they don’t give us a postponement we will go on strike and will lose 3-0 (by walkover).”

Soon after the FIGC agreed to call the game off but warned it would be the last time.

“Considering the morale of the players I have agreed to postpone the game but I can’t do it every Sunday,” said FIGC president Carlo Tavecchio in a statement yesterday.

“It’s an extremely serious fact from an administrative point of view and one I do not think can be repeated unless a higher authority intervenes. The executive committee were involved in this decision but I take personal responsibility.”

Tavecchio said Parma could not be helped until the club went to court.

“They did not present accounts to the court so the court can’t open bankruptcy proceedings and carry out a controlled administration,” he explained.