Francesco Acerbi, a defender for Inter Milan, has withdrawn from the Italian national squad ahead of two upcoming friendlies following accusations of using racially charged language towards Napoli player Juan Jesus during a game on Sunday.
The incident reportedly occurred during the second half of Inter Milan's 1-1 draw with Napoli in Serie A. Video footage shows Jesus complaining to the referee and pointing at someone before the official calls Acerbi over.
In an Instagram post on Monday, Jesus accused Acerbi of using derogatory racial language towards him. However, Acerbi has denied these allegations, stating that he did not use any racist language. He was not punished during the game.
Despite Acerbi's denial, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced that he had spoken to national team manager Luciano Spalletti and his teammates to explain his version of events. It was agreed that Acerbi should be left out of the squad "in order to let things settle for the national team and the player himself." Gianluca Mancini has been called up to replace him in Italy's squad.
Acerbi, who has played 34 times for Italy, expressed his regret at leaving the national team and reiterated that he did not make any racist remarks. However, Jesus stated that Acerbi had apologized to him on the pitch after using racially charged language and was now denying it.
Inter Milan issued a statement saying they were aware of Italy's decision to release Acerbi and would meet with the player to investigate the incident further. Serie A has referred the case to the Italian Federal Prosecutor for a more detailed investigation.
Acerbi's withdrawal from the national squad comes amid heightened awareness of racism in football and efforts to combat discrimination in the sport.
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