Inter Milan defender Francesco Acerbi will not face sanctions for allegedly racially abusing Napoli's Juan Jesus in a Serie A match due to insufficient evidence. The incident was brought to light on March 17 when Juan Jesus informed the referee that Acerbi had directed a racial slur towards him.
Acerbi has consistently denied using any offensive language. The Italian football federation prosecutor conducted interviews with the players and witnesses, and reviewed match footage and audio recordings from the referee and VAR. The decision was announced by the Italian league sporting judge, Gerardo Mastrandrea, who stated that while Acerbi did insult Juan Jesus, there was not enough certainty that it was racially motivated.
If found guilty, Acerbi would have faced a minimum 10-match ban, potentially ruling him out for the remainder of the season and the European Championship. Acerbi, who was part of the Italy squad that won Euro 2020, could have also faced repercussions from Inter Milan, who reportedly considered severing ties with him.
Juan Jesus, a Black Brazilian player, visibly expressed his distress during the match by approaching the referee and pointing to his 'Keep Racism Out' badge on his sleeve, part of the league's anti-racism campaign. Following the match, Juan Jesus mentioned that Acerbi apologized and appeared willing to move past the incident, stating, 'What happens on the field, stays on the field ... he is a good guy.'
Acerbi was subsequently sent home from the Italy training camp, although coach Luciano Spalletti and the team concluded that there was no malicious intent on his part. Acerbi later clarified his stance to the media, leading Juan Jesus to address the matter on Instagram, describing it as 'despicable' and detailing the alleged comments made by the Inter defender.
