Francesco Acerbi has not scored a goal in over a year. He had not found the net in 65 prior appearances across UEFA club competitions. However, the oldest player on the team remaining in the competition scored with his weaker foot, delivering the crucial goal that sent the San Siro into pandemonium and the Champions League semi-final into extra time.
Acerbi may not be a frequent goal scorer, but he has a knack for delivering critical goals for his club. Last season, he netted against bitter rivals and former employers AC Milan in the 2-1 victory that secured the club’s 20th Scudetto.
Most of Acerbi’s success has come toward the end of his career, as he won all seven of his major trophies after turning 30. He underscored this remarkable late-career success by reaching his second Champions League final in three seasons. At the end of May, the European crown would mark the pinnacle of an extraordinary on-field career.
Battles Beyond the Game
Acerbi has achieved success beyond the pitch as well. He overcame cancer twice and has been very open about his struggles with depression and alcohol abuse.
His illness was diagnosed during routine medical examinations following his signing for Sassuolo in the summer of 2013. Despite the tumour being removed in surgery, a drug test failure in December of the same year revealed irregular hormone levels in the Italian. This was a symptom of the cancer’s return, and Acerbi remained sidelined. He underwent chemotherapy between January and March and was allowed to return at the end of October, more than a year after the initial diagnosis.
The resilience shown by Acerbi during his cancer treatment immediately translated to the pitch. His return to top-level football was nothing short of remarkable. Between October 2015 and January 2019, he made 149 consecutive appearances in all competitions. Playing every minute of every game. Only a contentious red card would stop him from passing Javier Zanetti’s long-standing record of 162 successive matches.
In 2017, he played more minutes in the Serie A than any other outfield player.
Finding Meaning Through Struggle
Surprisingly, Acerbi credits his cancer diagnosis for “saving” him. During his loan spell at AC Milan, he fell into a depression over the death of his father and turned to alcohol to numb the pain. During an interview with La Repubblica, Acerbi was very open about his experience.
“After my father died when I was playing for Milan, I hit rock bottom. It was as if I’d forgotten how to play, or why I was playing. I started drinking and, believe me, I’d drink anything. It might seem like a terrible paradox, but the cancer saved me. I had something new to fight against, a limit to overcome. It was as if I got to start life all over again and saw the world in a way I’d completely forgotten.”
Possibly the most unlikely player to score in the 183rd minute of a two-legged tie. The 37-year-old centre-back was the furthest man forward on his team, attacking the opposition’s six-yard box. But his incredible achievements in his personal life might rival that of scoring this most unlikely of goals.
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