Sassuolo: Acerbi and Frattesi protagonists in the Champions League semi-final

SASSUOLO

The detail did not escape the attention of the people of Sassuolo who followed it: it was in fact two former Neroverdi who put their mark on the 'match of the century'. That was how the second leg of the semi-final between Inter and Barcelona was defined, which gave the team led by Simone Inzaghi their second Champions League final, dragged into the most exhilarating of comebacks by Francesco Acerbi, who scored the 3-3 goal in injury time, and by Davide Frattesi, whose goal in extra time sent Inter to heaven. Giovanni Carnevali must have smiled broadly too, whose almost brotherly relationship with president and Inter fan Giuseppe Marotta is well known, because the deal that brought Frattesi to the Nerazzurri was set up and closed by these two. Frattesi arrived in Sassuolo from Roma's Primavera in 2017, he gained experience between youth and loans (Ascoli, Empoli and Monza) making his debut in Serie A, in September 2021, with the Neroverdi: from there 2 seasons, 72 appearances and 11 goals before being sold to Inter, in the summer of 2023, guaranteeing the Neroverdi 33 million euros - between loan and obligation to buy - and 5 in bonuses. Considering that Sassuolo had purchased him from Roma for 5 million (and a percentage on the resale) and given what Frattesi did against the Blaugrana, two, or rather three, made the deal, given that the Roman raider has consigned himself, with his goal, to the collective memory. Inter made another deal by purchasing Francesco Acerbi, also a protagonist in Neroverdi for five seasons, at the end of which the centre-back will go to Lazio for around 12 million euros. Sassuolo, just promoted to Serie A, had purchased the co-ownership (then there were) from Milan for about 3 million in 2013, they would also take over half of Genoa two seasons later. At Sassuolo, Acerbi overcame a terrible disease - a tumor diagnosed as soon as he arrived in Emilia - and played 173 games forming, with Paolo Cannavaro, the strongest central pairing to ever wear the black-green. Also remarkable is the record of consecutive games played with Sassuolo, always a starter and never replaced: 116. A record that Acerbi will bring to 149 with the Lazio jersey.

Stefano Fogliani