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Acerbi, 37, is Inter's unlikely talisman
The Straits Times
|May 30, 2025
Francesco Acerbi could crown his long, turbulent career with the biggest prize in club football after bouncing back from cancer, depression and alcoholism to play a key part in Inter Milan's charge to the Champions League final.
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MILAN - Francesco Acerbi could crown his long, turbulent career with the biggest prize in club football after bouncing back from cancer, depression and alcoholism to play a key part in Inter Milan's charge to the Champions League final.
The Italy international's stoppage-time equaliser was probably the defining moment in Inter's barely believable semi-final, second-leg triumph over Barcelona, as the oldest player in an old team.
A 37-year-old centre-back, Acerbi had to be the most surprising scorer in a tie for the ages, finding himself in the opposition penalty area to smash in his first Champions League goal just as the game looked up for Inter.
Everything about his goal embodied the fighting spirit Inter have shown in their two classic clashes with Barca (3-3 draw, then a 4-3 win) and, in the previous round, Bayern Munich.
This story is from the May 30, 2025 edition of The Straits Times.
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