Lion Acerbi and the career that almost didn't exist
At 37, a footballer has usually experienced a lot in his career. Francesco Acerbi of Champions League finalist Inter Milan, however, has experienced even more.
Tattoos shape his body, personal tragedies his soul: Francesco Acerbi. IMAGO/Insidefoto
His body is covered in tattoos, which is hard to miss. Especially when Francesco Acerbi takes off his jersey after a game, doesn't pull his socks up completely during the warm-up, or goes berserk with euphoria when celebrating a goal.
This happened in the fantastic Champions League semi-final second leg against FC Barcelona, when the veteran was called up by Inter coach Simone Inzaghi as a stand-in striker with the score at 2-3. And then, after some neat work from Denzel Dumfries , he neatly placed his body in the net in a textbook striker-like fashion and fired a direct shot under the bar.
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Only this goal saved Milan's place in extra time, where they then secured their place in the Champions League final this Saturday evening (9 p.m., LIVE! on kicker) against Paris Saint-Germain in Munich's Allianz Arena with a furious 4-3 victory. Incidentally, it was Acerbi's first goal on the international stage. A first goal in the Champions League at the age of 37? That had never happened before .
And that's why they were visible again in all their glory during the celebrations, including the shirt-pulling, the rush towards the fans, and the subsequent yellow card pick-up – all those tattoos. Sayings are immortalized on his body, as are a soccer ball, two large wings with a crown on his back, and several other motifs, most notably that of a lion. "The king of the beasts" symbolizes strength, perseverance, and the fight against adversity.
Acerbi wears it with pride, and for good reason, as he has also won his biggest battle yet off the football field: the battle against cancer.
That was in 2013, when Acerbi suffered testicular cancer twice and only returned to the US Sassuolo Cacio team – his then club – in September 2014. A doping ban, initially imposed because he had been administered a hormone during cancer treatment and had not reported it, was lifted during this period.
Ten years after his illness, the defender, a strong tackler and header, gave an unusually candid interview in Gazzetta dello Sport , revealing virtually all of his emotional journeys, moods, and attitudes to life – including his career as a professional footballer. Among other things, Acerbi said at the time: "Life always throws you a challenge." Cancer and more were his.
It was like I had forgotten how to play and why I was playing at all.
Finally, his father and mentor, for whom he had originally strived for professional football, passed away in 2012. When he first played in Serie A at the age of 23 (for Chievo Verona), he did it "for Dad, not for me," as he once recalled. He says he had a difficult relationship with his father, Roberto, who had survived seven strokes before his death from chronic heart disease.
A lot of toughness was part of the daily routine: "We had a love-hate relationship. He constantly challenged me. In 2011, after I signed with Chievo, I waved the contract in his face."
Later, he moved on to AC Milan, where he was a fan at a young age and also "part of the Fossa dei Leoni, the Milanese ultra group," the "Lion's Den." However, his first attempts in the fashion capital were not crowned with sporting success, just as they were later at CFC Genoa. A loan back to Chievo brought momentum, before he made his way to success at Sassuolo Calcio (2013 to 2018), Lazio Rome (2018 to 2022), and Inter Milan ( since 2022 ).
But all of this was only possible because he had overcome major hurdles—a tumor and depression—during those difficult years. It was no easy undertaking, as he once admitted in an interview with La Repubblica : "After my father's death, when I was playing for Milan, I hit rock bottom. I felt empty, meaningless. I missed his challenges. I wore Alessandro Nesta 's number 13, but I was more into partying than training."
He also acted arrogantly, and others were never good enough. "From then on, everything went downhill. I seriously considered quitting football. It was as if I'd forgotten how to play and why I was playing at all. I started drinking—and believe me, I drank everything. Sometimes I didn't eat anything, and I didn't sleep either." Curiously, however, it was precisely the diagnosis of testicular cancer that somehow saved him.
"It may seem paradoxical, but cancer saved me. Without it, I probably would have ended my career at 28, in Serie B for Cittadella. But suddenly I had to fight against something new, overcome a barrier. It was as if I could start my life all over again and see the world with a forgotten perspective. Suddenly, I thought about all the worries I had caused my parents, all the missed opportunities, and all the nights of heavy drinking."
European Championship winner - and now back in the national team
He did - and now Acerbi, who was acquitted at the beginning of 2024 following a major racism allegation against opponent Juan Jesus , has an impressive 405 Serie A appearances (23 goals) to his name, as well as a championship with Inter Milan and 36 games in the Champions League.
Match number 37 follows on Saturday against PSG – quite fitting for his age. And the striker has also earned 34 caps for the Squadra Azzurra. With this team, the central defender was crowned champion at the 2020 European Championship, which was postponed due to the coronavirus, on July 11, 2021, against England ( a 3-2 win on penalties under coach Roberto Mancini ).
After a brief absence (without an Azzurri appearance since October 2023), Acerbi has been called up again by national coach Luciano Spalletti . Despite his advanced age, he will have the opportunity to prove himself in the upcoming World Cup qualifier against Norway – likely again against Erling Haaland , whom the defender first shut out in the 2023 Champions League final ( 0-1 loss against Manchester City ) and again this season in the league phase ( 0-0 draw ).
In short: Even at the ripe old age of 37, the lion still roams his territory, which he conquered after overcoming many hurdles.
