The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has announced that Francesco Acerbi will not participate in Italy’s upcoming friendly matches in the USA following alleged racist remarks directed at Napoli defender Juan Jesus. Acerbi will be replaced by Gianluca Mancini for the upcoming fixtures.
In a recent statement, the FIGC confirmed Acerbi’s omission from the Italy squad for the matches against Venezuela and Ecuador. Acerbi provided his account of the incident to coach Luciano Spalletti and his teammates, as per the internal policy of the Italian national team.
According to Acerbi’s explanation, pending an independent investigation by sporting authorities, there was no malicious intent behind his comments. However, as a precautionary measure, Acerbi has been excluded from the squad for the upcoming matches. Consequently, he will return to his club, and Roma defender Gianluca Mancini will be called up in his place.
The FIGC noted that Mancini was already part of a provisional list of reserves, prepared to step in for any unavailable players.
The incident between Acerbi and Juan Jesus occurred during a Serie A match between Inter and Napoli at San Siro, where Juan Jesus reported Acerbi’s alleged racist remarks to referee Federico La Penna. Acerbi, in a post-match interview, confirmed that he had apologized for his comments.
As for potential disciplinary action, it is too early to determine the duration of any ban Acerbi may face. If found guilty of making racist remarks, he could potentially face a suspension of at least ten matches. Acerbi, aged 36, was expected to be a key player for Italy in both the upcoming matches and the 2024 Euros, having earned 34 international caps, including three under the new coach, Luciano Spalletti.
