Financially-stricken Parma have been hit with a further two-point penalty for failing to pay players’ salaries the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) have announced.

Parma, bottom of Serie A, are now 15 points away from safety and looked doomed to relegation although of far more concern is the bankruptcy hearing set for March 19.

The once-proud club had already been docked a point in December for the same reason.

Former club president Tommaso Ghirardi and director Pietro Leonardi were also handed four-month bans by the FIGC.

Parma were loaned five-million euros last week by the other Serie A clubs to help them complete the season.

Should the club be wound up the rest of their fixtures could be declared 3-0 walkovers to their opponents.

Parma returned to action late weekend to earn a draw with Atalanta after their two previous games were called off by the FIGC to allow the club time to solve its problems.

The former UEFA Cup winners have already changed hands twice this season and on both occasions the buyers, a Russian-Cypriot conglomerate followed by the Slovenia-based Mapi group, were shrouded in mystery.

They finished sixth last season in Serie A but were barred from playing in the Europa League because of financial irregularities.