Juan Jesus is the latest victim of racism in the beautiful sport of soccer. The Napoli player has experienced a racist attack on him during his side’s clash against Inter Milan before the international break with the aggressor being the opposition defender Francesco Acerbi.
It seems racism is a rampant issue in Europe still, with Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr. a regular target of racist chants in Spain. The Brazilian has been trying his best to tackle the issue there. And it seems that Juan Jesus is also ready to take strict action against racism in Italy.
Juan Jesus tackles alleged racism in official statement
Juan Jesus released a statement yesterday in order to speak out against the racism he faced and the lack of action from the Serie A authorities. After Inter Milan’s Francesco Acerbi was not punished for his racist insult at Jesus, he was evidently bitter about the decision.
It read, “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 between Inter and Napoli on 17 March. While respecting the decision, it is one I find difficult to comprehend and it leaves me feeling very bitter.”
🔵 Juan Jesus statement.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 27, 2024
“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 between Inter and Napoli on 17 March. While respecting the decision, it is… pic.twitter.com/fYAD7c0uc4
He further added that this could set a dangerous precedent for racist incidents forward, “I didn’t expect it to end like this. I fear – and I hope I am wrong – that this could set a serious precedent for justifying certain behaviour after the event.”
During the Serie A clash against Inter Milan and Napoli before the international break, Francesco Acerbi made a racist remark at Juan Jesus, calling him a ‘negro’. After he made a complaint to the referee, Acerbi apologized about it, and the matter was dropped by all parties. But after the Italy national team suspended him from their camp, he denied that any racist remark was made. This made Jesus angry, as he believed Acerbi was covering the incident up.
Juan Jesus considers taking legal action against Francesco Acerbi
However, despite being investigated by the Italian authorities, no action has been taken against Francesco Acerbi, even though he has been found guilty of the act. The judge ruled that there was not sufficient evidence of the act being discriminatory against the Brazilian defender, and Jesus believes this implies that he is wrong. The player is now considering taking legal action to solve the issue, as an appeal will not be possible.
Yesterday, Acerbi was not suspended for the incident with Juan Jesus due to a lack of evidence.
— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) March 27, 2024
Napoli are not happy with the decision.
As a sign of protest they won’t wear Serie A’s “keep racist out” patch on their jerseys this weekend vs Atalanta.
“We are going to take… pic.twitter.com/ufqzikLBIT
Napoli have already put out a statement that they reject the decision to not give a suspension to the Italian player. Furthermore, they have confirmed that they won’t sport Serie A’s ‘Keep Racism Out’ badge on their shirts anymore. This will also apply to any anti-racism initiatives taken by the league, and it is a protest by the club against the authorities.
It is imperative that racism is rooted out of the sport in Italy, and we stand by Juan Jesus in his crusade against racism of all kinds.
