Inter’s assistant coach Massimiliano Farris insists that Francesco Acerbi is ‘anything but a racist’. Speaking after the Nerazzurri’s 2-0 win over Empoli, Farris was quizzed on a number of topics, not least the ongoing fallout from the Acerbi-Juan Jesus incident:
“The performance? It’s been a top-level season for Bare, who returned even more charged up from his beautiful goal with the national team. The words spent on Nico apply to many; many have made transoceanic flights. The team had a good first half, we performed better in the second, and as proof of the strength of our group, the substitutions gave us a great hand in securing this victory.”
Regarding the decision to field Acerbi as a starter, Farris stated, “The final decision, of course, is made by the coach, but Francesco has returned, there was quite a stir, and I know the club has also spoken. We waited until his return to speak when he told us he absolutely did not utter the racist remark. Clearly, we all stood by his side. Personally, I can say that I’ve known Francesco since his time at Lazio; he’s a very good guy and anything but a racist. It was certainly an ugly episode, and we hope it’s now closed, and we can return to talking only about football.”
Farris continued by commenting on the importance of the defensive department, stating, “It means quality from the boys because we provide the ideas, we set the stage, but then they have the tools, and they know how to play this stage very well. Everything is working very well, the mobility of our defenders, but also the ability to cover spaces, when defenders detach, they are covered by the midfielders. So, it’s a team effort that works, that we are carrying forward very well. Then honestly, if Dimarco scores rather than another defender, it’s excellent; we know how much Federico carries the Inter jersey, and the fact that he scored today at San Siro makes us very happy and proud.”
Regarding Lautaro Martinez, the coach emphasized, “Consider that he is also the latest arrival, so he was a bit tired. He came from the longest flight, then he’s a guy who always makes himself available; he’s our captain and truly a captain inside the dressing room. Then the beautiful thing is that the whole team, when he’s on the field, tries to provide him with the balls to score goals. It’s normal that he might have one or two off games, but I don’t think we can dispute him. It’s true that he hasn’t scored in some games, but the work he and Thuram, Arnautovic, and Sanchez do, give us a great hand in the non-possession phase. Then, as I said, today we got a goal from a defender, but also from a forward.”
Finally, on the increasingly imminent Scudetto, Farris remarked, “Honestly, we have never talked about choosing the game in which to win the Scudetto. We have amassed a lot of points, and we have a beautiful advantage, but today it’s not enough. There are still 8 games to go; we still need to do well. We only have in mind to reach the Scudetto; of course, the sooner, the better, but we are also enjoying the journey we’ve made.”
