The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) disclosed on Tuesday its initiation of an investigation into alleged racist remarks made by Inter Milan's defender Francesco Acerbi.
In a statement, the FIGC expressed that, subsequent to scrutinising the referee's report, the sports judge deemed it imperative for the federation's public prosecutor to delve into the altercation between Napoli's Juan Jesus and Inter Milan's Francesco Acerbi, particularly regarding any potential instances of racial discrimination attributed to the latter.
Initially, Jesus had downplayed the incident following Napoli's 1-1 draw at Inter Milan, asserting that "what happens on the pitch, stays on the pitch" after acknowledging Acerbi's on-field apology for unspecified insults.
During the match, Brazilian player Jesus, who scored Napoli's late equalizer, was observed signaling to the referee, pointing to the "Keep Racism Out" badge on his shirt, and allegedly indicating that "(Acerbi) called me a negro."
Subsequently, Acerbi left Italy's training camp on Monday, leading to his replacement by Roma center-back Gianluca Mancini in the squad selected for matches against Venezuela and Ecuador as part of Italy's European title defense preparations.
Acerbi, 36, contended that he had "no intention of being defamatory, denigrating, or racist," upon his return to Milan. He assured journalists that he had uttered "nothing racist."
However, Jesus responded angrily on Instagram, refuting Acerbi's denial and asserting, "Racism is going to be fought here and now." He alleged that Acerbi had indeed made racist remarks, despite his claims to the contrary.
Consequently, Acerbi faces the prospect of a potential 10-match suspension, which could terminate his season with Inter Milan and jeopardise his participation in the upcoming Euros commencing on June 14.
