'Ace never gives up' - Inter hero who beat cancer, alcohol and depression

Champions League last 2025: Paris St-Germain v Inter Milan

Date: 31 May Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich

Coverage: Live power commentary connected BBC 5 Sports Extra, positive unrecorded matter commentary connected nan BBC Sport website and app, followed by video highlights

Francesco Acerbi's communicative really has each it takes to beryllium a fable. It starts from afar, has an animal pinch quality characteristics arsenic its protagonist - successful this lawsuit a lion - pinch its vices and virtues. And for illustration immoderate fable worthy of its name, it ends pinch a moral.

It is simply a communicative of sacrifice, resilience and perseverance - 1 that has seen Acerbi conflict pinch intoxicant and slump pursuing nan decease of his father, doubly flooded testicular cancer, and climb nan footballing pyramid arsenic a comparative seasoned to go an improbable Champions League leader for Inter Milan astatine nan property of 37.

It was nan centre-back's 93rd-minute equaliser successful nan semi-final 2nd limb against Barcelona that sent nan necktie to other time, pinch Inter yet winning 7-6 connected aggregate.

Acerbi threw himself connected a transverse from nan correct and slotted nan shot successful down Wojciech Szczesny.

"It was his intuition, I didn't opportunity thing to him," said Inter leader Simone Inzaghi pinch a grin aft nan match.

Team-mate Carlos Augusto told BBC Sport: "I convey him for uncovering nan spot to spell into nan container astatine that moment. He has a awesome communicative disconnected nan transportation too, Ace simply ne'er gives up."

On that night, Acerbi scored his first extremity successful 65 appearances crossed Uefa nine competitions. He had 46 touches, only 1 of which was successful nan opponent's box. And pinch his weaker correct foot, too.

"He is simply a defender, but he scored for illustration a existent striker. There is thing magical and fabulous successful what he did," added chap centre-back Stefan de Vrij.

Born successful Vizzolo Predabissi, a colony 15 miles distant from San Siro and nan tract of his so-far astir iconic moment, Acerbi's sporting history began successful 2006 astatine adjacent Pavia successful Serie C.

After a indebtedness spell astatine Renate successful Serie D, Acerbi began touring Italy pinch moves to Reggina, Genoa and Chievo, wherever he made his Serie A debut and emerged arsenic 1 of nan astir promising defenders successful nan league.

AC Milan, nan nine he had supported since childhood, took announcement of his qualities. In 2012 he made a imperishable move to nan Rossoneri where, however, things did not move retired arsenic expected.

Acerbi had a problem, which successful move triggered others - an unresolved narration pinch his father, his first admirer but besides his first critic.

"He wanted to do maine good, but without meaning to, he would spell truthful acold arsenic to wounded me," Acerbi precocious said of his father's changeless criticism.

Paolo Franchini, nan psychotherapist who helped Acerbi make bid pinch his begetter complete nan years, said: "He was his number 1 fan, but besides his number 1 symptom successful nan neck. He was ever pointing retired nan mistakes he made."

Now, erstwhile Acerbi raises his arms to nan entity astatine nan commencement of each game, he does it for him, but his has been a agelong journey.

His begetter died soon aft his move to AC Milan. Acerbi mislaid his equilibrium and fell into depression.

"Already astatine nan opening of my profession I didn't really person nan correct cognition for a master player," he later said.

"I would often get tipsy astatine trainings, without having afloat recovered from nan nighttime before. I was physically strong, and that was capable for me.

"As my begetter died, however, I deed stone bottom. I nary longer had immoderate thrust and could nary longer play. I was sick and would portion anything."

After conscionable six months, nan Rossoneri loaned him backmost to Chievo, past he moved connected again to Sassuolo astatine nan extremity of nan season.

Shortly after, during a aesculapian check-up successful July 2013, Acerbi was diagnosed pinch testicular cancer.

"From 1 time to nan next, you find yourself powerless and surprised, and you observe that your life could alteration forever," Acerbi would recount a fewer years later.

The tumour was removed instantly and Acerbi returned to training pinch his caller team-mates. He played 13 times, but adverse findings during a doping power trial successful December 2013 certified nan cancer's return.

He did not springiness up, though, and aft respective rounds of chemotherapy - thing he described arsenic a "world of symptom and of courage" - Acerbi defeated nan cancer, frankincense opening his play of soul growth.

"Paradoxically, nan tumour gave maine a 2nd chance, making maine realise who I was and what I really wanted," he said.

With nan thief of his dearest, Acerbi returned to nan section nan pursuing play and recovered much stability. After 5 affirmative seasons pinch Sassuolo, he moved to Lazio successful 2018.

There he met Inzaghi who advocated powerfully for Acerbi to travel him to Milan successful 2022, because of nan player's activity qualities.

"Inter were bully to perceive to maine astir Acerbi. I knew he would thief america because his attraction and grit are unique," nan Inter leader said.

The Nerazzurri loaned him for 1m euros (£850,000) connected nan past time of nan summertime transportation window, contempt scepticism wrong nan nine and nan guidance of fans, worried by his Rossoneri past.

"I besides advised him to move to Inter. His begetter was a Nerazzurri instrumentality and that would definitively reconcile him pinch him," revealed his scientist Franchini, who said they speak earlier large games, including nan semi-final against Barcelona.

The remainder is caller history. Acerbi's favourite animal is nan lion and he has ever fought for illustration one, connected and disconnected nan pitch.

A tattoo connected his thorax sounds 'The Lion King'; different lion roars disconnected his stomach. Alex, nan friends lion characteristic from nan animated movie bid 'Madagascar', smiles disconnected his correct arm.

Acerbi has ne'er accepted conclusion and rebelled against fate, which confronted him pinch cancer.

He moreover rebelled against nationalist squad coach Luciano Spalletti, who had not called him up for almost 2 years.

In March, erstwhile asked, nan Italy leader replied: "Acerbi? But do you cognize really aged he is?"

But Spalletti has since recalled him for nan upcoming matches against Norway and Moldova.

Acerbi besides rebelled against what happened successful Istanbul 2 years ago, erstwhile he and Inter mislaid nan Champions League last against Manchester City. If Inter person different chance to unafraid nan trophy successful Munich connected Saturday, nan in installments is besides his.

"My civilized is to ne'er springiness up and ever react. You tin fall, but you must get backmost up each time; facing things pinch nan correct cognition allows 1 to grow," Acerbi told BBC Sport.

"You person to thief yourself, realising that you request it. It takes spot to get support from nan extracurricular and luck to beryllium astir group who really emotion you, but it each starts pinch you.

"From a individual and sporting constituent of view, I don't cognize if a triumph successful Munich would beryllium nan closing of a circle, but I'm not nan type of personification who stops aft a Champions League final."

If nan lions inked connected his assemblage show Acerbi's bravery, nan wings connected his backmost are location to show he has learned really to fly.