Bernabè’s situation is an important one for the club, whose supporters are keen to see the midfielder remain part of their project. Cherubini said Parma hoped to meet the player’s representative, although arranging the appointment had proved difficult because of personal issues affecting the agent.
“We hope to meet the agent,” Cherubini said. “I use the conditional because, due to some issues on his side, it has not been possible to organise the meeting.”
The sporting director added that he had set himself a deadline before the November break, stressing that players approaching the end of their contracts deserved a clear and transparent discussion about their futures.
“With players whose contracts are running down, it is right to sit down and look each other in the eye, with complete transparency, to see whether the conditions are there for a renewal or not,” he said. “If they are not, we will deal with the situation. Remaining in limbo helps nobody. We need clarity.”
Cherubini said Parma would provide an update once the meeting with the representative had taken place. He also addressed whether Bernabè’s attitude had raised concerns about the possibility of an extension.
“If I were to judge Bernabè’s attitude, I would not see any problems with the possibility of renewing,” he explained. “But since we have not met the agent, I think it is right to speak to them first.”
The discussion also touched on Parma’s tactical approach following a change in direction under coach Carlos Cuesta. Cherubini said the club had wanted to combine greater defensive solidity with a different style of play, but insisted that the decision to change the system had not been imposed by the hierarchy.
“Nobody ever imposed one formation or another on the team,” he said. “Cuesta was the first to reflect on this, and his thinking was shared with us. He tried a different path because he was the first to recognise that he had followed in Chivu’s footsteps but did not feel that approach was truly his own, regardless of the results achieved.”
Parma are now hoping to combine defensive improvement with greater attacking threat.
“We hope to become a Parma side that is difficult to play against again,” Cherubini added. “I think there have been some signs of greater attacking danger, and those will need to be combined with defensive solidity.”
The contract meeting remains the immediate priority. Parma want to avoid uncertainty dragging on, with Cherubini making clear that the next discussion should establish whether a renewal is realistic.