Preparing for his second Champions League final in three years, Francesco Acerbi has come a long way.
Rewind to January 2013 and AC Milan used him as a makeweight in a move to sign Kevin Constant from Genoa. Acerbi went the other way in a swap deal. Genoa then immediately loaned him out to Chievo.
Within weeks of joining newly-promoted Serie A club Sassuolo six months later, blood tests revealed Acerbi had a testicular tumour and he underwent chemotherapy.
He made a successful return to football but in 2019 struggled with depression and turned to alcoholism as a coping mechanism while mourning the death of his father.
On Saturday, having rebuilt his life and his career, the 37-year-old will line up at the heart of the Inter Milan defence against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.
Acerbi has been on a remarkable journey, from starting out non-league Pavia to hammering home a stoppage-time equaliser in the unforgettable semi-final second leg against Barcelona that saved Inter before they went on to win in extra-time.
It is a journey that has made Acerbi the monstrous defender he is today.
He once claimed that he would have retired years ago if not for the experience of being diagnosed with cancer and then overcoming it. He felt he must go on. This week he was re-called to the Italy squad for the first time since 2023.
His fighting spirit epitomises what Simone Inzaghi’s experienced Inter are all about.
Underestimate them and Acerbi at your peril.
