Last week, he was asked to leave the Italian national team gathering. Francesco Acerbi, Inter’s central defender, was the target of Juan Jesus’ accusations.
During a championship match between their teams on March 17, the Naples player reported his opponent’s racist remarks to the referee. After investigation, no evidence made it possible to confirm these statements, and therefore to sanction the 36-year-old Interist.
Gerardo Mastandrea, the judge of the Italian Federation in charge of disciplinary matters, explained this decision in a press release: “Considering that the minimum level of reasonable certainty as to the discriminatory content of the offense committed has not been reached, he been decided not to apply the sanctions provided for in article 28 of the Code of Sports Justice. »
” It’s unbearable “
The maximum sanction Francesco Acerbi faced was a 10-match suspension. This would have compromised his end of the season, but also his participation in the Euro in Germany (from June 14 to July 14). “The discriminatory content, without calling into question the good faith (of Juan Jesus), seems to have been perceived only by the offended player, without the support of any external proof, whether audio, video or even testimony” , specifies the press release.
After the famous meeting of March 17, Juan Jesus announced that Francesco Acerbi had apologized to him. “He realized that he had gone too far,” explained the Neapolitan. But he later regretted that the Inter player denied any intention of being defamatory or racist at the time of his expulsion from the selection. “Acerbi’s comments do not correspond with reality and with what he told me. It’s unbearable (…) we must fight racism here and now. »
