Embattled Acerbi Hopeful for Inter Reunion with Inzaghi

BOLOGNA, ITALY - OCTOBER 03: Francesco Acerbi of SS Lazio in action during the Serie A match between Bologna FC v SS Lazio at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara on October 03, 2021 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi - SS Lazio/Getty Images)

Francesco Acerbi has once again come under fire, and his Lazio stay might be coming to an end. The center-back had a baffling blunder against Milan, gifting the opponents a late game-winner. He was pictured laughing after it, which drew the ire of the Biancocelesti faithful.

The defender defended himself on social media: “Enough already. I have always given everything to this team, and I am proud to have won trophies donning this jersey. There have been some frictions, but I always apologized after any mistake. It was a hysterical reaction for dropping two points because of a pair of unlucky bounces, and not certainly because I was happy for losing. I do not want any fan to even think of me in that fashion.”

The Lazio supporters already targeted Acerbi in the past because of a gesture towards the Curva. Adam Marusic forcefully reprimanded him on the pitch Sunday. Maurizio Sarri downplayed the incident in the post-game remarks: “There are always plenty of confrontations on the pitch between teammates, especially when you lose like that. Nothing happened in the locker room. It is better to let things quiet down and assess them in a few days in these instances.” 

According to Il Messaggero, Acerbi would be on the chopping block if Lazio struck a deal with Alessio Romagnoli. The defender is hopeful of getting a call from his former coach Simone Inzaghi, as he would welcome a transfer to Inter. Instead, Sarri would not mind a swap with Juventus’ Daniele Rugani.