Francesco Acerbi is the definition of a warrior—both in football and in life.
At 37, the Inter Milan defender is preparing for one of the biggest matches of his career: the UEFA Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Munich. This is his second Champions League final in three seasons, after playing all 90 minutes in Inter’s narrow loss to Manchester City in 2023.
It has already been a dream year for Acerbi. He has earned a recall to the Italian national team for the first time in 18 months and stands just one win away from adding another continental title to his resume, having helped Italy win EURO 2020.
But Acerbi’s journey to the top has been far from easy. In 2013, while playing for Sassuolo, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. After surgery to remove the tumor, the cancer returned later that season, and he had to step away from the game to undergo chemotherapy.
Rather than let the diagnosis define him, Acerbi used it as fuel. “I had two cancers, but I didn’t care. I knew I could beat them,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport in 2023. “It may sound like a paradox, but I was almost happy. I said, ‘Okay, I will face them like a football match.’”
Acerbi believes cancer changed the course of his life—and saved his career. “Without cancer, I would have retired at 28,” he said. “Maybe I’d be in Serie B with Cittadella. But because of cancer, my real life began. It gave me a second chance.”
In an interview with The Guardian, he shared how the experience transformed his mindset: “Back then I had no fear. Then I had a dream—it was like my father and God were the same person, urging me to improve. I cried and realized cancer was an opportunity. I had something to fight again.”
Since overcoming cancer—not once but twice—Acerbi has won Serie A, the Coppa Italia, and the Supercoppa Italiana. Now, he’s leading Inter Milan into another Champions League final, hoping to bring the European trophy back to the Nerazzurri for the first time since 2010.
Francesco Acerbi’s story is more than a football journey—it’s a testament to resilience, belief, and second chances.
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