Parma president Tommaso Ghirardi admits he came close to appointing Didier Deschamps ahead of coach Hector Cuper earlier this year.

Ghirardi said: "I thought about him, yes, his prospects were sincerely evaluated. I have always agonised between making a choice of a young coach or a specialist. Being young, I was favouring Deschamps, then with my colleagues I thought about the situation. I believe that Cuper is the right man for us."