How Acerbi Beat Cancer, Alcohol Abuse and Depression to Star for Inter

Francesco Acerbi's story really has all it takes to be a fable. It starts from afar, has an animal with human characteristics as its protagonist - in this case a lion - with its vices and virtues. And like any fable worthy of its name, it ends with a moral.

It is a story of sacrifice, resilience and perseverance - one that has seen Acerbi battle with alcohol and depression following the death of his father, twice overcome testicular cancer, and climb the footballing pyramid as a relative veteran to become an unlikely Champions League hero for Inter Milan at the age of 37.

It was the centre-back's 93rd-minute equaliser in the semi-final second leg against Barcelona that sent the tie to extra time, with Inter eventually winning 7-6 on aggregate.

Acerbi threw himself on a cross from the right and slotted the ball in behind Wojciech Szczesny.

"It was his intuition, I didn't say anything to him," said Inter boss Simone Inzaghi with a smile after the match.

Team-mate Carlos Augusto told BBC Sport: "I thank him for finding the strength to go into the box at that moment. He has a great story off the pitch too, Ace simply never gives up."

On that night, Acerbi scored his first goal in 65 appearances across Uefa club competitions. He had 46 touches, only one of which was in the opponent's box. And with his weaker right foot, too.

"He is a defender, but he scored like a real striker. There is something magical and fabulous in what he did," added fellow centre-back Stefan de Vrij.

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- Author: Daniele Verri, BBC