Francesco Acerbi believes Manchester City ‘feared Inter‘ during the Champions League Final: ‘We lacked the awareness that we could hurt them.’
The Azzurri defender spoke at a press conference attended by Football Italia at Coverciano on Monday. It started with a question about Saturday’s Champions League Final against Manchester City, lost 1-0 by Acerbi’s Inter.
“We have to be proud of what we’ve done. We are embittered because Finals leave nothing if you don’t win and it hurts,” he admitted.
“My feeling from the pitch, which I also told my teammates, was that we lacked the awareness that we could hurt them. There had been too much talking about how strong they were. Unconsciously, we suffered it a little but we could have hurt them.
“They feared us, they were favourites and we had to make the most of it. There is regret, but also the awareness that we can play on even terms with anyone.”
Acerbi nullified Erling Haaland, but it wasn’t enough to bring the trophy home as Rodri’s winner in the second half helped City secure the victory in Istanbul. Acerbi had already faced Haaland two years ago when the Norway international was playing for Borussia Dortmund and Acerbi was a Lazio player.
“He’s twice as big now,” said Acerbi.
“He is a great striker but we did a good job with the rest of the team. I didn’t want to talk to anyone for 10 minutes after the end of the game.
“I spent one day thinking about the things I could have done better [during the Final],” he continued.
“It’s a process to understand the game, the Final, and the defeat. It’s part of life, what’s important is to react and improve every day. Now I am focused on the National team and Thursday’s match. We’ll prepare for the game well, like every game.”
Inter’s defeat came after those of Roma and Fiorentina in the Europa and Conference League Finals.
“It’s been an important year for Italy. The Premier League remains the strongest league at the moment, but we are Italy. We have many strong players, many young players who can play, perhaps, a little more. Italian football is still on a great level. I hope it’s no fluke. With the national team, we want to give our best, we always aim for the top.
“At the end of the day, Italian clubs lost three Finals. We need the awareness that we can play on even terms with everyone and even win trophies if the group is strong and goes in the same direction.
“A group that reacts after bad moments like the World Cup, is the only way to recover. Defeats are not failures, in sports, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.”
Acerbi played for Milan in 2012-13 with Silvio Berlusconi as the club’s President.
“My convalescence goes to the family. He was a brilliant man, a great entrepreneur. Wherever he went, he was always successful. He was a reference point, the news hit me, and I am really sorry,” said the Nerazzurri centre-back.
The Azzurri will face Spain in the Nations League semis on Thursday:
“We don’t fear them. We have respect. We know their strengths and weaknesses. It’s an important game, but we have all the tools to hurt them.”
Most Inter fans didn’t even want Acerbi to join the club last summer as he had been seen smiling after Milan’s late winner against Lazio in 2022, in a key victory for the Rossoneri’s title race.
“I don’t care about comments, what gave me energy and strength was my determination and my desire to go beyond and don’t make others happy. It hurt me because as a man on the pitch, nobody should ever question my professionalism,” he admitted.
“I neglected my family, my wife and my kids for the teams I played for, Lazio, Inter, and Pordenone. I told myself I had to go ahead. This is my passion and my life and this is why I am proud of this.
“The target at the end of my career will be to have no regrets and see I gave my all. Looking forward and reacting sound like cliches but are real things. I don’t know where I will be in two weeks. You never know what can happen in life. Think that two hours before the end of the transfer window I had told Inzaghi I wouldn’t join Inter.
“I want to take the right path and try not to miss anything. The Champions League Final was a surprising thing, like the Euros Final. What matters is to give you all to make these things happen.
“I think that after the illness, I always had good seasons. Always quite balanced. Physically, I was lucky not to have many injuries,” continued Acerbi.
“Then determination, desire and sacrifice were crucial. I repeat I don’t know what can happen in two days, but determination, the group, the place where you, determination and luck make the difference.”
He concluded by discussing Italy’s elimination from the World Cup play-off more than a year ago.
“Watching the World Cup was a big blow. The qualifying group wasn’t too difficult, it was our fault. But you should never look at the negative side. From tomorrow, we can make no mistakes. We know Spain well, and we want to play these two games and win the Nations League.”