Inter Milan defender Francesco Acerbi will not receive punishment for allegedly racially abusing Napoli’s Juan Jesus in a Serie A match. This decision was made because there wasn’t enough proof to support the accusation.
The alleged incident occurred on March 17, when Juan Jesus informed the referee that Acerbi had used a racial slur against him. However, Acerbi has consistently denied using any offensive language.
Last week, the Italian Soccer Federation prosecutor conducted interviews with players and witnesses. After examining evidence including match footage and audio recordings, the Italian league sporting judge concluded that there wasn’t sufficient certainty to determine if the insult was racially motivated.
While it was acknowledged that Acerbi did insult Juan Jesus, it couldn’t be confirmed that it was racially driven. If Acerbi had been found guilty, he would have faced a minimum 10-match suspension, potentially impacting his participation in the rest of the season and the European Championship.
Acerbi, who was part of Italy’s Euro 2020-winning squad, might have also faced consequences of Inter Milan. However, Juan Jesus expressed a desire to move past the incident, mentioning that Acerbi apologized and appeared willing to resolve the matter.
Following the match, Acerbi was sent home from Italy’s training camp, but it was concluded that there was no malicious intent on his part. Despite this, Juan Jesus reiterated his stance on the issue through a statement on Instagram.
