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There were opening day fireworks at the Tardini, both on the field and off, as Catania boss Silvio Baldini was dismissed for kicking Parma's Mimmo Di Carlo!
Both clubs narrowly avoided sliding into Serie B last season, so this was an immediate relegation dogfight. It was also a special moment for Catania Coach Silvio Baldini, who was sacked by Parma in 2004. The Gialloblu were also under new management, as ex-Mantova chief Mimmo Di Carlo made his top flight bow.
Andrea Gasbarroni, Daniele Dessena and Catania's Cristian Silvestri were suspended, joining Giuseppe Cardone, Antonio Bocchetti and Giuseppe Colucci in the stands. Igor Budan launched himself on the counter-attack and Bizzarri took two attempts to get his right-foot shot under control. Catania took the lead with a splendid strike from Japanese 19-year-old Morimoto. He had far too much space inside the area, but kept his cool to get the cross under control and curl a perfect right-foot shot into the far top corner, leaving Luca Bucci immobile. Parma fought back with Reginaldo's free kick skimming the woodwork. Andrea Pisanu drew the Gialloblu level with a fierce strike. He got between two defenders, chested it down and thumped the shot on the bounce that cannoned off the underside of the crossbar. Reginaldo dispossessed Vargas and cut back for Budan to fire over the bar. Parma turned the game around completely on the stroke of half-time with another stunner. Youth product Marco Rossi, who just returned from a loan spell at Modena, hit a screamer from the edge of the area for his first official Gialloblu goal. However, Giuseppe Mascara was partly at fault for passing his clearance straight to an opponent. It lasted all of 60 seconds and was 2-2. Catania scored with a fine team move, as Morimoto was threaded through, but intelligently cut back for teammate Davide Baiocco to leave the goalkeeper stranded. Domenico Morfeo came on for Budan and almost immediately forced a tricky save out of Bizzarri. The football petered out in the heat, but the tension on the sidelines was at boiling point. Silvio Baldini was giving his team instructions when a row broke out with the opposition Coach and he kicked Parma boss Di Carlo! Baldini was obviously sent off and several members of his bench had to take the furious Catania tactician away. Morfeo had two consecutive shots charged down by some desperate defending. Reginaldo spun round in the area and his effort flashed across the face of goal. | 
