The FIGC president: “We know he is a good boy and what he has given”
“Acerbi’s acquittal? I won’t go into the dynamics of the concrete fact. There is a judge’s decision that everyone must accept, including those who don’t feel satisfied. I accept the verdict and on a human level I will not refrain from hugging Acerbi when I see him“. This was declared by the president of the FIGC, Gabriele Gravina, during the press conference of the federal council speaking about the Acerbi-Juan Jesus case. The Inter defender was acquitted by the sports judge for an insult directed at the Napoli player. Juan Jesus reported being addressed with the racist insult “nigger”.
“We learned of a check by the sports judge, you know that he was called up to the national team and as a precaution to avoid any form of distraction we left him at home”, explained the FIGC number one.
“Per internal policy he gave his reasons and we believe Acerbi’s words, whoever wears the blue shirt expresses himself with certain values. We know he is a good boy and what he has given.” “Again without going into the merits of the decision from a legal point of view, I am humanly close to Juan Jesus, reiterating the commitment of the FIGC which has always been concretely on the field in the battle against racism”, added Gravina.
The Orsato case
Gravina denies that the referee Daniele Orsato has requested the administration of the Italian Referees Association. “Orsato never allowed himself to ask for the administration of the Hague, neither he nor any international referee, but he only legitimately highlighted a sort of discontent linked to an insecurity in terms of sensitivity to refereeing certain matches because the internal political conflict generates tensions that fall on the referees”, the articulated response of the FIGC president.
Gravina also informed the members that the Federation will have to adopt the guiding principles of the Leagues and the Hague in the coming weeks, following the approval by CONI of the guiding principles of the Federations. And in this regard, CONI has already appointed an ad acta commissioner. “For this reason I invited President Aia to suspend any form of electoral campaign for the presidency”, adds Gravina.
