Acerbi had an explosive match with Inter against Barca - Photo: REUTERS
Acerbi's strike that tore through Barca's net not only meant a dramatic 4-3 victory and a ticket to the Champions League final for Inter, but also a memorable milestone for the Italian centre-back - a moment of ultimate sublimation after so many hardships.
The harsh challenges
At the age of 37, when most of his colleagues were thinking about "retiring" or looking for less harsh playgrounds, Acerbi scored his first goal in the Champions League.
Few people know that Acerbi's path to glory was not paved with roses. He struggled in lower leagues until he turned 22, a late start compared to many of his peers.
His life has faced more severe challenges than the top football matches. Twice fighting the terrible disease of testicular cancer. And a dark period of being addicted to alcohol after the passing of his beloved father.
"I drank everything I could," Acerbi once bitterly confessed about that difficult time. The darkness seemed to swallow his career and his future.
Cancer... saved Acerbi's life
The cruel turn came in 2013, when he was playing for Sassuolo. The cancer diagnosis was a death sentence for a player on the rise.
Acerbi's joy with coach Simone Inzaghi - Photo: REUTERS
Surgery and painful chemotherapy would have broken anyone's will. But Acerbi, with his extraordinary determination, saw the incident as an awakening. "Paradoxically, cancer saved me from falling," he shared, a bitter but grateful admission.
After overcoming a serious illness, the Italian player did not simply return to the field. He became an irreplaceable rock in the Sassuolo defense. Then continued to affirm his class in the Lazio shirt before joining Inter Milan.
Champions League Hero
And then today at the Giuseppe Meazza, he wrote a new chapter in his career. The precious equalizer against Barca not only saved a match, but also symbolized the extraordinary rise of a man with an indomitable spirit, never giving up.
"Acerbi followed his intuition. He just ran straight towards the opponent's goal, without anyone telling him to," coach Simone Inzaghi shared about the moment Francesco Acerbi scored the equalizer to make it 3-3 in the press conference after the match between Inter Milan and Barca.
Once in the shadows, Francesco Acerbi has risen to the pinnacle of European football. Now he and Inter are aiming for the Champions League trophy. His story is a testament, an endless source of inspiration for all those facing difficulties and challenges.
Acerbi and Inter will now aim to win the Champions League trophy to complete the Inter Milan defender's extraordinary journey.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/acerbi-tu-vuc-tham-den-nguoi-hung-champions-league-o-tuoi-37-20250507143544855.htm
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