Benjamin Cremaschi, the 21-year-old Parma midfielder, was part of a side that held a 2-1 lead against Roma at the Tardini before conceding twice in stoppage time to lose 2-3 — a result that left Parma's head coach Carlos Cuesta García publicly furious and the club with nothing to show for what had been, by all accounts, a competitive performance.

The defeat matters beyond the scoreline. Parma sit 13th in Serie A with 42 points from 36 matches, a record of ten wins, twelve draws, and fourteen defeats. The goals-against column — 45 conceded — tells the story of a side that has struggled to hold results, and Sunday's collapse in injury time is the sharpest expression of that pattern. For Cremaschi, still building his profile in Italian football, these are the moments that define whether a young midfielder develops the composure to influence outcomes rather than simply participate in them.

Cuesta García did not accept the result quietly. The Parma coach directed his anger at the officiating — specifically at what he described as a handball by Roma's Mancini that led to an equaliser, a penalty he considered unearned, and a Parma attacking move halted for what he called a non-existent foul. The referee's handling of the match has since drawn comment from the head of Italian refereeing, who stated that the penalty was clear and that Mancini's challenge, while risky, was legal. The debate has done nothing to return Parma's points.

Cremaschi's own season has been modest in output. Eight appearances, no goals, no assists, and an average rating of 6.50 reflect a player still finding his footing at this level. His AI overall score of 60 out of a possible 100, with a projected ceiling of 72, suggests the tools are there — but the gap between current and potential is precisely what a difficult season like this one is supposed to close. Playing in a team that has conceded 45 goals in 36 matches means Cremaschi is rarely operating in comfortable territory; the defensive fragility around him compresses the space in which a young midfielder can express himself.

With two matches remaining in the 2025-26 campaign, Parma have little left to play for in the table. What Cremaschi does have is the chance to finish the season with clarity of purpose — to demonstrate, in low-stakes conditions, the qualities that his profile suggests are latent. At 21, the season's frustrations are data, not verdict.