Juan Jesus says he is 'bitter' about Italian league not punishing Acerbi for alleged racial abuse
The Peninsula
Milan: Napoli defender Juan Jesus says he has been left feeling very bitter and crestfallen by the Italian league s decision not to punish Inter M...
Milan: Napoli defender Juan Jesus says he has been left feeling "very bitter” and "crestfallen” by the Italian league's decision not to punish Inter Milan player Francesco Acerbi for an allegedly racist remark toward him.
The Italian league’s sporting judge announced on Tuesday that there wasn’t enough 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 halted for about 90 seconds when Juan Jesus, who is Black, told the referee that Acerbi directed a racial slur at him.
"I have read several times and with great disappointment the decision of the sports judge, who felt there was no evidence that I was the victim of a racist insult during the match,” Juan Jesus said in a statement on Wednesday. "While respecting the decision, it is one I find difficult to comprehend and it leaves me feeling very bitter.
"Quite honestly I am crestfallen by such a serious incident in which my only mistake was that I dealt with it ‘as a gentleman,’ deciding not to interrupt an important game, with all the inconvenience that would have caused the spectators watching the match. I did so believing that such an attitude would have been respected, and perhaps taken as an example.”
