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Departing Italy Head Coach Smooths Water After Alleged Bust-Up With Inter Milan Veteran Defender: 'Everything Was Ok'

Originally posted on SempreInter.com  |  By Marko Vrakela  |  Last updated Jun 10, 2025 5:44 AM ET

Outgoing Italy manager Luciano Spalletti shed new light on his recent conflict with Inter Milan veteran Francesco Acerbi.

During his final press conference as the Azzurri boss via FCInterNews, the 66-year-old decided to clear the air.

Francesco Acerbi found himself under tremendous media pressure after reportedly rejecting Spalletti’s call-up earlier in June.

Indeed, the 37-year-old refused to show up for Italy’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Norway and Moldova.

Despite his impressive form for Inter, he felt there was a lack of respect toward him from the national team camp.

Therefore, he turned down Luciano Spalletti, prompting a fierce response from Gianluigi Buffon, among others.

Meanwhile, the Scudetto-winning manager decided to part with the four-time world champions last weekend.

Spalletti announced his imminent departure shortly after a humiliating 3-0 loss in Norway.

However, he stuck with the team for last night’s home win against Moldova.

Italy won 2-0 to reignite their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup finals for the first time since 2014.

Departing Italy Boss Luciano Spalletti Explains Altercation with Inter Milan Star Francesco Acerbi

“I hope that those who refuse a call-up will no longer be allowed to return to the national team,” Spalletti was adamant.

“In my response, I may have behaved badly, but then we had a phone conversation.

“I apologized to the player, and he said: ‘Coach, if you put it that way, it’s all good…’ So that’s the situation.

“It’s true that I initially left him out because I wanted to go with Calafiori and Buongiorno, and Leoni was also getting ready.

“I’m convinced others would’ve made the same decision.

“When I asked ‘How old is he?’ I was really doing the math with the next World Cup in mind.

“At the end of the season, Acerbi was the best of all, and I have to go by what the league shows me.

“That situation threw me off a bit because I had even brought in a few extra players, but physically, we were worn out, drained…

“It becomes hard when you don’t have muscle or legs.”

This article first appeared on SempreInter.com and was syndicated with permission.

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