Naples soccer players take knee to support teammate Juan Jesus after alleged racial abuse

Players from the Naples soccer team took a knee before their match Saturday to show support for teammate Juan Jesus, who was allegedly racially abused during a match earlier this month.

The protest comes days after an Italian sports judge ruled that Inter Milan defender Francesco Acerbi will not face sanctions for allegedly calling Jesus, who is black, a racial slur at a Serie A match over lack of proof.

The team took a knee on the field at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples ahead of its match against Atalanta.

During the March 17 game against Inter Milan, Jesus told the referee that Acerbi directed a racial slur at him.

Acerbi has repeatedly denied he used the offensive word.

The Italian soccer federation prosecutor questioned players and witnesses last week. The judge also reviewed images, video and audio from the game before making his decision Tuesday.

The judge found that while it was clear Acerbi had insulted Jesus, the “minimum level of reasonable certainty” had not been reached to prove it was race-related.

Naples called the ruling “astonishing.”

“Napoli will no longer take part in anti-racism and anti-discrimination initiatives run by football institutions that are merely symbolic, but we will continue to organize them ourselves, as we have always done, with renewed conviction and determination,” the club responded in a statement.

Jesus said he was feeling “very bitter” about the decision.

Jesus, a 32-year-old Black Brazilian, looked visibly upset when he walked up to the referee in the Milan match and pointed to his shirt sleeve which had “Keep Racism Out” badge — part of the league’s anti-racism campaign.

After the game, Jesus said that Acerbi, 36, apologized.  

“What happens on the field, stays on the field … he is a good guy,” he said.

Acerbi was sent home from the Italy national team’s training camp the next day — but coach Luciano Spalletti and his teammates said they were certain “there was no defamatory, denigrating or racist intent on his part.”

Inter Milan was also reportedly mulling cutting Acerbi if the judge had found him guilty.

With Post Wires