Inter Milan defender Francesco Acerbi has been cleared of racially insulting Napoli’s Juan Jesus during a recent Serie A encounter.
Gerardo Mastrandrea, a Serie A sports judge, gave the verdict on Tuesday.
The judgment was reached following an inquiry that included questioning both players engaged in the event.
On March 17th, during the Inter-Napoli match, Juan Jesus accused Acerbi of using a racial slur against him, causing referee Federico La Penna to interfere.
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.
