Inter Defender Francesco Acerbi: “I Want To Play, Not Here As A Stopgap”

Inter defender Francesco Acerbi wants to really establish himself in a Nerazzurri shirt, and not just have a brief spell at the club this season.

Speaking to Italian broadcaster SportMediaset after making his debut for the team in yesterday evening’s 2-0 Champions League group stage win over Viktoria Plzen, the 34-year-old expressed the hope that he can play regularly and prove his worth.

Acerbi made his debut less than two weeks after joining the Nerazzurri on the final day of the summer transfer window, with coach Simone Inzaghi trusting that he would be ready to fill in for Stefan de Vrij in the centre of the back three.

The Lazio-owned defender repaid the coach’s trust with a solid display to keep Plzen’s attack quiet and guide the team to a clean sheet.

For his part, Acerbi hopes that this is just the start, and that he can continue to have a prominent role to play in Inter’s team going forward.

“I want to play,” he stressed, “I’m not here to be a stopgap. It won’t always happen, but I’m always at the coach’s disposal and I want to give him a tough decision to make. My teammates welcomed me very well, as if I’d been here for a long time. They’ve been spectacular.”