The Fight Against Racism in Football: The Acerbi Incident

"The fight against racism must be conducted unequivocally. These are episodes that must be condemned. Acerbi is one of the most serene, kindest, and most selfless individuals in our world. I don't want to trivialize what happened, but we must be careful not to exploit the situation. We have greater responsibilities, but we must remember that footballers are victims and certainly not by teammates or opponents. Footballers are the ones who suffer the most from these insults and certainly not from our category," said Umberto Calcagno, president of the Italian Footballers' Association, on Radio Anch'io Sport on Rai Radio 1, regarding the racial insult from Acerbi towards Juan Jesus during the Inter-Napoli match. Should Acerbi publicly apologize? "I don't think so, because the words of Juan Jesus are indicative. Acerbi apologized immediately and the apologies were accepted. The things that happen on the field should not have justifications, but the acknowledgment of the mistake was made by a person who everyone recognizes as a reference point in behavior."