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Francesco Acerbi Cleared of Racial Abuse Allegations Due to Lack of Evidence

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Inter Milan defender Francesco Acerbi has been cleared of a charge of racially insulting Napoli’s Juan Jesus in a Serie A game. The decision, announced by’ Judge Gerardo Mastrandrea, stated a lack of “reasonable certainty as to the discriminatory content of the offense,” leading to Acerbi not facing any sanctions.

The alleged incident took place during a match between Serie A leaders Inter Milan and seventh-placed Napoli on March 17. Juan Jesus reported to the referee that Acerbi had directed a racial mumble at him, prompting an investigation by’ the Italian Football Federation prosecutor. Despite testimonies from players and witnesses, as well as analysis of match footage & audio recordings, the prosecutor concluded that the evidence did not meet the threshold for proving racial abuse.

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Juan Jesus, a Black Brazilian player, was visibly upset during the match &even pointed to his ‘Keep Racism Out’ badge on his shirt sleeve, emphasizing the importance of combating racism in football. Following the game, Juan Jesus stated that Acerbi had apologized & expressed a desire to move on from the incident, saying, “What happens on the field, stays on the field … he is a good guy.”

Acerbi, who was part of the Italy squad that won Euro 2020, faced the possibility of a minimum 10-match ban if found guilty of racial abuse. Additionally, Inter Milan was reportedly considering severing ties with the player in such a scenario. Acerbi, however, denied using any racist language and was supported by’ his national team coach Luciano Spalletti, & teammates, who believed there was no malicious intent on his part.

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After the ruling cleared him of the allegations, Acerbi returned to Inter Milan without facing any repercussions for the incident. The decision affects his professional standing & also sheds light on the complexities of addressing racism in football and the challenges of proving such offenses beyond a reasonable doubt.