Juan Jesus Says He Is ‘Bitter’ Over Italian League Not Punishing Acerbi For Alleged Racial Abuse Achi-News

MILAN: Napoli defender Juan Jesus says he has been left feeling “very bitter” and “reviled” by the Italian league’s decision not to punish Inter Milan player Francesco Acerbi for a racist remark towards him.

The Italian league’s sports judge announced on Tuesday that there was insufficient proof that Acerbi’s insult to Juan Jesus was racist to impose what would have been a lengthy ban on the Italy defender.

The alleged incident happened during a match between Inter and Napoli on March 17 and the match was stopped for about 90 seconds when Juan Jesus, who is Black, told the referee that Acerbi had directed racial slurs at him.

“I have read several times and with great disappointment the decision of the sports judge, who felt that there was no evidence that I suffered racial insults during the game,” said Juan Jesus in a statement on Wednesday. “With respect to the decision, it is one that I find difficult to understand and it leaves me feeling very bitter.

“To be honest, I’m shocked by such a serious incident where my only mistake was that I dealt with it ‘like a gentleman’ by deciding not to interrupt an important game, with all the inconvenience that would have caused causing the spectators to watch the game. I did that believing that such an attitude would have been respected, and perhaps taken as an example.”

Juan Jesus was clearly upset when he approached the referee during the second half at San Siro and was also pointing to the sleeves of his shirt which had a ‘Keep Racism Out’ badge – as part of the league’s anti-racism campaign.

The 32-year-old Brazilian said after the game that Acerbi had apologized and appeared to wish to put the matter behind him, adding, “What happens on the pitch, stays on the field … he’s a good guy.”

The Italian football federation’s prosecutor questioned the players and witnesses last week and a report was sent to the Italian league’s sports judge, who also studied images of the match, as well as audio from the referee and VAR before making the decision to not to sanction Acerbi.

“Following this decision, I imagine that anyone else who finds themselves in a situation similar to mine will act in a very different way, in order to protect themselves and to curb the stigma of racism, which we, unfortunately, having trouble getting rid of it. ,” Juan Jesus’ statement continued.

“I do not feel that I am in any way overshadowed by a decision which admits that ‘certainly there is evidence of the insult’ and which asserts that there is no certainty that it is of a discriminatory nature, something which I saw in only ‘in good faith’.”

If Acerbi had been found guilty, he would have faced a minimum ban of 10 games which would have ruled the 36-year-old out of the rest of the season and most likely from the European Championship.

Acerbi was sent home from Italy’s training camp the day after the match although the federation said it believed “there was no defamatory, abusive or racist intent on his part.”

According to Juan Jesus, Acerbi immediately apologized but the Inter defender has repeatedly denied that he used the slur, saying that “no word of that kind came out of my mouth” and that Juan Jesus “misunderstood .”

“I cannot doubt why Acerbi only started to change his version of the events while with the national team the following day, instead of denying it immediately after the game, when it really happened,” added Juan Jesus .

“I didn’t expect it to end like this. I fear—and hope I’m wrong—that this could set a serious precedent for justifying certain behavior after the event. I really hope that this (for me) sad issue can help the football world to reflect on a serious and urgent issue.”

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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Associated Press)