The president of the Italian Football Association (FIGC) Carlo Tavecchio has said officials will "make sure football is not demolished" by the financial crisis engulfing Parma.
If Parma, who have not paid some employees since July, are declared bankrupt -- an increasingly strong possibility -- all their remaining fixtures would be declared defeats.
That would be particularly harmful to Roma, who recently drew 0-0 with them. Rivals who have yet to play the club, including leaders Juventus and third-placed Napoli, would be awarded 3-0 victories.
#INSERT type:image caption:Carlo Tavecchio wants Parma to submit their books to the Italian FA. END#
In an attempt to prevent that situation from developing, Tavecchio has asked Parma to present the FIGC with their books and accounts so a "controlled bankruptcy" can be carried out.
That would see the club relegated to Serie B with all their debts to football institutions cleared, and they would be able to start next season under a new name and new ownership.
The same procedure was last used to help Torino, whose promotion from Serie B to Serie A was cancelled and a new club, Torino FC 1906, formed without debt in 2005.
But the alternative, a normal bankruptcy, would see the club fold and have to start again from the bottom of the footballing ladder.
"The Lega [Serie A] will do everything they can to make sure football is not demolished by this," Tavecchio told reporters at a convention in Florence in quotes reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Parma's situation has got to be evaluated by understanding what has happened.
"If Parma want to play next Sunday, they need to bring their books to tribunal considering that they no longer have any money.
"The tribunal then will have to decide on any provisional action, which would only be possible if they have enough financial backing."
The FIGC could pay the club's expenses to get them through to the end of the season, deducting the amount from what the club would receive in parachute payments after being relegated.
"I think it is legitimate to ensure that the funds are found to cover this provisional action," Tavecchio said. "They would then receive a parachute payment as long as they can cover their sporting debts."
Parma's game against Udinese on Sunday was postponed, reportedly due to the club's inability to guarantee the payment of stewards and other matchday expenses, but Tavecchio said that was not the real reason.
"The prefecture [local authority] said the game should be played behind closed doors, but not because 40,000 euros was lacking like everybody has said," he explained.
"It was a request from the players, who have been humiliated and not paid for weeks and would have been forced to play inside a cage without being seen, so I postponed the match."
Parma fans staged a protest march to the club's Stadio Tardini home on Sunday, putting up notices that read: "Closed due to theft."
New club president Giampietro Manenti has yet to deliver on a promise to pay off the club's outstanding debt, including salaries, but has insisted the money is on its way.
Youth team coach Hernan Crespo said at the weekend that his players do not have hot water to shower in after matches.
Serie A rivals Sampdoria offered to pay expenses for the Parma youth team's trip to Genoa on Saturday, saying on their website: "The educational value of youth schemes must always be cared for and respected in the name of fair play.
"For this reason, president [Massimo] Ferrero and Sampdoria are willing to help Crespo and his players in the logistical organisation of their upcoming away trip."
Parma are bottom of Serie A with 10 points from 23 games, 13 from safety. They are set to be docked a further five points for their continued failure to pay wages and taxes.