Inter Milan defender Francesco Acerbi has been acquitted of racially abusing Napoli’s Juan Jesus during a recent Serie A match.
The verdict was delivered by Serie A sports judge named Gerardo Mastrandrea on Tuesday.
The decision comes after an investigation, which included questioning both players involved in the incident.
On March 17th, during the match between Inter and Napoli, Juan Jesus accused Acerbi of using a racial slur against him, prompting referee Federico La Penna to intervene.
Acerbi denied the accusation, stating that he was misheard and claimed he said, “I’ll beat you black and blue.”
The sports judge’s ruling cited a lack of evidence supporting Juan Jesus’s version of events, despite the analysis of audio, video, and testimonial evidence.
The verdict clears Acerbi of the allegations and spares him from a potential 10-match ban.
Recent reports had suggested that Inter Milan were considering cutting ties with Acerbi due to the controversy, but might be allowed to continue following the decision.
