Zebre struggle in Parma shadow

Zebre may be competing in the top tier of European club rugby this season but even if they beat Connacht this weekend to record their first victory in the Champions Cup, their heroics will go largely unnoticed in their home town of Parma.

Calcio is king in the northern Italian city and, despite their storied football club currently languishing in the country’s third tier of professional football, Zebre are used to playing second fiddle.

“The whole city is behind the soccer club. It’s the culture,” Zebre head coach Gianluca Guidi said with an air of resignation.