Italian defender Francesco Acerbi found himself in the midst of controversy as he was banned from the Italy camp in the international break due to his alleged racist remarks towards Napoli’s Juan Jesus during the Inter Napoli tie on the weekend.
Francesco Acerbi Ban: What happened?
In a battle between table-toppers Inter Milan and 7th-placed Napoli, things got heated as Acerbi and Juan Jesus tussled to win the ball over the course of the game. Things took a turn for the worse when Jesus seemed distressed and approached the referee to complain about Acerbi. The matter initially seemed to be shrouded in mystery, but later Jesus could be seen pointing at the ‘Keep racism out’ badge on his shirt leading to speculation regarding the exchange between Jesus and Acerbi.
After the match, Juan Jesus was questioned about what Acerbi said to him on the pitch, but he refused to reveal the words exchanged between him and the 36-year-old defender. While Jesus refused to comment on the issue initially by saying he had left it on the pitch, the denial by Acerbi of having made racist comments drove him to share a detailed post regarding the incident on Instagram.
With the international break starting right after the weekend tie, the veteran defender Acerbi traveled to Rome to join the Italy camp who are preparing to take on Venezuela and Ecuador in international friendlies.
Upon arrival, Acerbi was greeted with a rude shock as he was banned from the Italian camp considering his alleged heinous offense. The Francesco Acerbi ban saw Italy being forced to call up Gianluca Mancini. The Francesco Acerbi ban couldn’t have come at a worse time as the Azzurri attempt to shortlist the best squad to take to Italy. Acerbi’s racist remarks also highlighted the deep underlying issues in Italian football as it is plagued with racist undertones.
Francesco Acerbi Ban: Will the defender be banned from football?
Critics of the Italian league, Serie A, are furious considering the slow response from the league in opening up an investigation against Acerbi. If an investigation is opened up into the matter, the 36-year-old defender could face a lengthy ban of 10 matches in the league. However, as of now, the only movement has been banning him from the Italy camp. A Francesco Acerbi ban could send a strong message to all in Italian football about Serie A’s stand against racism, however, It remains to be seen whether Acerbi will be punished for his comments and the response of Inter Milan on the topic.
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