Parma striker Emanuele Calaio banned for two years.

Parma striker Emanuele Calaio has been banned for two years for match-fixing. Parma have also been deducted five points for the 2018-19 Serie A season and Calaio, 36, has been fined 20,000 euros (£17,800).

Italy's National Federal Court (TFN) imposed the sanctions after Calaio sent "suspicious messages" to some of his former team-mates before Spezia played Parma on 18 May.

Parma won the game 2-0 to secure promotion back to Italy's top flight.

Calaio, who left Spezia to join Parma in 2016, contacted Spezia players Filippo de Col and Claudio Terzi before the game via messaging service WhatsApp.

Parma were relegated to Serie D after being declared bankrupt in 2015, but will return to Serie A after three successive promotions.

The win over Spezia sealed second place in Serie B last season as rivals Frosinone could only manage a 2-2 draw against Foggia.

Courtesy of bbcsports