Ravanelli released in Dundee blitz
DUNDEE, Scotland -- Italian striker Fabrizio Ravanelli is among 20 players and staff released by Dundee a day after the Scottish Premier League club was placed in financial administration.
Ravanelli and former Scottish international Craig Burley, who both joined Dundee in September, were the two biggest casualties.
Other players released included Fabian Caballero, Juan Sara, Beto Carranza, Mark Robertson and Georgi Nemsadze. Thirteen other staff were let go.
"Dundee Football Club regrets to inform that 20 football staff today lost their jobs in consequence of the club's move into administration," a club statement said.
"The players and backroom staff were told of the decision by manager Jim Duffy and director Jim Connor in meetings at Dens Park today."
Tom Burton, a corporate restructuring partner at consultants Ernst and Young in Scotland, has been appointed a joint administrator of the club with the aim of keeping Dundee alive.
"However, I suspect that this will only be possible if significant changes are made to the company's operating structure," Burton told the club's website on Monday.
"The company has some £20 million ($34.01 million) of debt, and is losing approximately £100,000 per week. This cannot be allowed to continue."
Dundee, who sit seventh in the 12-team top flight, are the second major Scottish club to go into administration in 18 months.
Motherwell were forced to call in the administrators in April 2002.
