Francesco Acerbi’s story really has all it takes to be a fable. It starts from afar, has an animal with human characteristics as its protagonist – in this case a lion – with its vices and virtues. And like any fable worthy of its name, it ends with a moral.
It is a story of sacrifice, resilience and perseverance – one that has seen Acerbi battle with alcohol and depression following the death of his father, twice overcome testicular cancer, and climb the footballing pyramid as a relative veteran to become an unlikely Champions League hero for Inter Milan at the age of 37.
It was the centre-back’s 93rd-minute equaliser in the semi-final second leg against Barcelona that sent the tie to extra time, with Inter eventually winning 7-6 on aggregate.
Acerbi threw himself on a cross from the right and slotted the ball in behind Wojciech Szczesny.
“It was his intuition, I didn’t say anything to him,” said Inter boss Simone Inzaghi with a smile after the match.
Team-mate Carlos Augusto told BBC Sport: “I thank him for finding the strength to go into the box at that moment. He has a great story off the pitch too, Ace simply never gives up.”
On that night, Acerbi scored his first goal in 65 appearances across Uefa club competitions. He had 46 touches, only one of which was in the opponent’s box. And with his weaker right foot, too.
“He is a defender, but he scored like a real striker. There is something magical and fabulous in what he did,” added fellow centre-back Stefan de Vrij.
‘I was sick and would drink anything’
Born in Vizzolo Predabissi, a village 15 miles away from San Siro and the site of his so-far most iconic moment, Acerbi’s sporting history began in 2006 at nearby Pavia in Serie C.
After a loan spell at Renate in Serie D, Acerbi began touring Italy with moves to Reggina, Genoa and Chievo, where he made his Serie A debut and emerged as one of the most promising defenders in the league.
AC Milan, the club he had supported since childhood, took notice of his qualities. In 2012 he made a permanent move to the Rossoneri where, however, things did not turn out as expected.
Acerbi had a problem, which in turn triggered others – an unresolved relationship with his father, his first admirer but also his first critic.
“He wanted to do me good, but without meaning to, he would go so far as to hurt me,” Acerbi recently said of his father’s constant criticism.
Paolo Franchini, the psychotherapist who helped Acerbi make peace with his father over the years, said: “He was his number one fan, but also his number one pain in the neck. He was always pointing out the mistakes he made.”
Now, when Acerbi raises his arms to the sky at the start of each game, he does it for him, but his has been a long journey.
His father died shortly after his move to AC Milan. Acerbi lost his balance and fell into depression.
“Already at the beginning of my career I didn’t really have the right attitude for a professional player,” he later said.
“I would often arrive tipsy at trainings, without having fully recovered from the night before. I was physically strong, and that was enough for me.
“As my father died, however, I hit rock bottom. I no longer had any drive and could no longer play. I was sick and would drink anything.”
After just six months, the Rossoneri loaned him back to Chievo, then he moved on again to Sassuolo at the end of the season.
Source: BBC
