Acerbi's 'crazy' moment

Acerbi scored the goal of his career.

No one bet on Francesco Acerbi in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final on May 7. Not the 37-year-old centre-back with legs weighed down by time. Not the man who has faced death twice in his battle with cancer.

Yet, when the whistle blew for the final minute of injury time, it was Acerbi - the unlikely hero - who rose high, executed a killer shot, sending the ball into the corner of Barcelona's net, lighting up hope for Inter Milan when everything seemed to be over.

It was more than just a goal. It was the manifesto of "Pazza Inter Amala" - "Inter is crazy, love her" - a philosophy that permeated every fiber of the black and blue shirt.

Call of Destiny

Imagine Simone Inzaghi standing on the touchline, Inter losing 3-2, the Champions League slipping away. And he decides to push a centre-back forward in a last-ditch gamble. Daring? Maybe. Crazy? Definitely. But as the Milanese say: "If it's not crazy, it's not Inter."

Acerbi is not Lautaro Martinez, who scores every 85 minutes in this prestigious tournament. He is not Davide Frattesi, who runs like a knife through the opposition defence. But he is the man who has overcome the greatest adversity - beaten the Grim Reaper twice - who stepped up when Inter needed him most.

Acerbi brought a surprise to Inter Milan in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final. He scored the equalizer for the home team to draw 3-3 against Barcelona.

Average age 31.1 - people call Inter a "nursing home team". Three consecutive defeats in Serie A, losing the top spot, being eliminated from the Coppa Italia. All signs point to an exhausted team, ready to raise the white flag.

But old does not mean weak. Old is experience, wisdom, and calmness when the world is in chaos.

When people thought Inter would fall to the youth of Barcelona, they forgot that the scars on the backs of the striped team are not a sign of weakness, but a witness to resilience.

The art of "stubbornness"

Let's look back at Inter's journey in the Champions League this season. Quarter-final against Bayern, lost first but the Milanese representative immediately rose up. Second leg against Barcelona, from 2-0 to 2-2, then from 3-2 to 3-3. Each time they fell, Inter stood up stronger.

It's not luck. It's the art of "toughness" - a quality that not every team possesses. When Simone Inzaghi took over Inter, he transformed a talented but wavering team into a fighting machine that refused to give up.

And when Iñigo Martínez disrespected Acerbi, the veteran centre-back did not waver. Instead of responding with words, he responded with the most important goal of his career.

Acerbi had cancer, but fought to overcome it.

It's not just the battle on the pitch, each Inter player is also fighting their own tragedies. Acerbi and the pain of losing his father. Frattesi and the void left by her passing. They don't just play for titles, but also for their loved ones who have passed away.

"When you are close to a title, you cannot miss any moment" - a bitter lesson from last season's defeat to Atletico Madrid. And Inter learned to fight until the last breath.

Inzaghi's team were more than just a talented group. They were warriors who refused to accept their fate. They embodied the motto "Pazza Inter" - crazy but proud.

When the final whistle blew, Acerbi stood there, hands clasped as if thanking fate for giving him the chance to write his own story. A story of resilience, of never giving up, and of believing in something greater than fate.

Inter Milan deserve to be in the Champions League final not just because they are good, but because they never give up. And that is the true essence of football. It is not the best, but the most persistent who wins.

"Pazza Inter Amala" - "Inter is crazy, love her" - is not just a football team's slogan. It is the life philosophy of people who never accept failure as inevitable.

Source: https://znews.vn/phut-dien-ro-cua-acerbi-post1551870.html