Soccer: Napoli boycotts anti-racism day after Acerbi cleared

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 27 - Napoli said Wednesday it was boycotting the Italian soccer league's upcoming anti-racism weekend in protest against the acquittal of Inter's Italy defender Francesco Acerbi who was cleared for insufficient evidence of calling Napoli's Brazil defender Juan Jesus a negro even though Jesus said he did it.
    In his ruling Tuesday, the Serie A sporting judge lent credence to Acerbi's claim he had merely told Jesus "ti faccio nero" (lit.'I'll make you black, meaning I'll tan your hide), rather than saying, as the Brazilian reported, "go away black, you're just a negro".
    The judge said the alleged racial slur had not been picked up by microphones or heard by any other players.
    Napoli said it was "dumbfounded" by the ruling which implicitly called Jesus a liar.
    The Brazilian posted a picture of a raised fist in the Black Power salute used iconically by US 200m runners Tommie Smith and John Carlos on the podium of the 1968 Mexico Games, a gesture that has more recently been taken up by the Black Lives Matter movement.
    "We won't be taking part in the Keep Racism Out day," said Napoli marketing director Tommaso Bianchini.
    After the alleged incident in the recent 1-1 draw at the San Siro between the runaway Serie A leaders and likely champs and their predecessors, Acerbi was dropped for Italy's friendlies in the USA against Venezuela and Ecuador. (ANSA).