“When my father died in February 2012, I hit rock bottom. I started drinking and, believe me, I’d drink anything. Cancer saved me…”As strange and shocking as this might sound, that’s what Inter Milan’s centre-back Francesco Acerbi revealed a few years ago, reminiscing about his struggles and the hell he went through following the death of his dad only a few months before the then-promising 24-year-old defender joined AC Milan.His father was not there to see Acerbi’s rise from anonymity as the player spent most of his youth career in the lower tiers of Italian football. As a result of that painful loss, Acerbi suffered from depression, also grieving the death of his father with alcohol.Acerbi celebrates after scoring last night (©Dan Mullan/Getty Images)”I wanted to show him where I could get,” said Acerbi in a heartwarming interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport in 2019.”After his death, I felt empty and football was meaningless. From there it all went downhill. I was arrogant, the others were not good enough. Until I got testicular cancer…”Acerbi was diagnosed with the horrible illness in the summer of 2013, shortly after his move to Sassuolo, and then again at the end of the same year.”A challenge is always necessary for life. I needed it, first with my father and then with the illness.”It’s impossible not to have fear, but without it, I would have retired,” explained the defender, who had undergone intensive treatment and did not return to the pitch until the 2014-15 season.”Once upon a time, I thought I would play 15 years at Milan, at a high level. Today, I say no. Without cancer, I would have retired at 28. Perhaps I would be in Serie B, at Cittadella, but with cancers, my real life began, giving me a second chance.”Dad, this is for you… (©Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)Battling depression, alcoholism, and all the other lows of that emotional rollercoaster was the toughest challenge possible. Still, Acerbi prevailed thanks to his impressive character, a psychologist’s help, and a few of his closest friends.In hindsight, he recollected what were crucial moments in that rise from his own personal abyss.”I spoke to a psychologist after my two cancers. He explained to me how to react and take a step forward. It’s important to have a few people around you, two or three who you can really trust. It’s important to understand what you really want from life. It doesn’t matter if you play or not, your time will come sooner or later.”##NAJAVA_MECA_8910386##And it really came.Not only did Acerbi’s football career take a slightly different, steady, and successful path from there (winning the EURO 2020 with Italy), but his private life soon rewarded him for his refusal to surrender.The birth of his daughter Vittoria (©Instagram/francescoacerbi88)He married his partner Claudia, and in September 2021, they welcomed their daughter Vittoria into this world. That name wasn’t a coincidence, as it means ‘a victory’ in Italian. Acerbi took it to social media to show the image of him holding the tiny bundle in his arms.And the best was yet to come in his professional life.After his impressive loan spell at Inter Milan in the season 2022-23, he permanently left Lazio and joined the Nerazzurri and his former Lazio boss, Simone Inzaghi.This morning, Acerbi and Inzaghi (along with Inter’s goalkeeper Yann Sommer) are the ones who deserve the most credit for a remarkable 4-3 Champions League victory over Barcelona, which sent the Nerazzurri to the Munich showdown.Mamma mia! Inter knock down Barca in one of the greatest-ever spectaclesHowever, just like in Acerbi’s life, it was an emotional rollercoaster packed with memorable moments, but also dreadful declines. Inter were 2-0 up last night, before Barcelona came from behind to set one foot in the UCL final with a 3-2 lead with only a few minutes left.That was the moment Acerbi seemed to be waiting for his entire life. Inzaghi sent his veteran defender straight to the rival’s box in a desperate quest for an equalizer, and the miracle suddenly happened.🇮🇹 Francesco Acerbi aged 37 years old has now scored his FIRST EVER Champions League goal against Barcelona in the semifinal.🔥 The experienced defender Inter Milan has played 20 seasons of professional football. #InterBarca|#ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/jC2AXGULy0— FIFA World Cup Stats (@alimo_philip) May 6, 2025 He chipped it in front of Ronald Araujo and past Wojciech Szczesny straight into the back of the net like a genuine target-man to save his team from death and send the game to the extra time. That was his first-ever goal in any major European competition, let alone the Champions League.He celebrated the goal ecstatically, taking off his shirt in tears and jumping sky-high, as the tattoo of angel’s wings on his back flashed in front of millions of fans.##GALERIJA##Davide Frattesi added another for Inter in the extra time for a 7-6 win on aggregate in one of the most entertaining UCL ties ever.Now, it’s time for Acerbi’s one last battle, on May 31 in Munich. But would he triumph? Regardless of the outcome of that game, one thing’s for sure – he already did.By: BOJAN BABIC
