Growing up in England, I could point to only a handful of derbies outside the Premier League that would truly entice me. El Clásico was up there and the Old Firm packed a punch, but to me, there was always something more romantic about the Milan derby.
Aside from wanting to unwrap replica Aston Villa jerseys on Christmas Day or my birthday, I remember pestering my Dad for an Inter shirt whenever we went to a sports retailer or saw a market stall abroad. The colors, the old Pirelli sponsor, and the stars that adorned those famous black and blue stripes, resonated with me for one reason or another.
So when the opportunity arose to visit Milan and attend one of the world’s greatest fixtures, I simply couldn’t pass it up.
As I’ll explain later, this was possibly my last chance to witness this derby at San Siro. I packed my bag, grabbed my passport, and headed overseas to witness this iconic game.
The Italian Job
For 90 minutes twice a season, most of Italy stops pauses to watch two of Europe’s most decorated outfits battle it out in games that usually hold mammoth repercussions in the Serie A season. These games are the definition of a “six-pointer”.
Many of the planet’s greatest talents have contested this fixture: Maldini, Ronaldo, Kaká, Vieri, Shevchenko, Zanetti… I could go on all day. The list is littered with players who are synonymous with success.
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, or ‘San Siro’ as its more frequently called, which is actually the metropolitan district of Milan the stadium is situated in, is Italy’s largest soccer venue. It’s an arena that has hosted many of the sport’s most prestigious matches, including the European Cup final four times (Inter won on one of those occasions).
Much like in Rome, the San Siro is home to two sides: Inter and AC Milan. Ultra culture has long been commonplace in Italy. The Curva Nord (north curve) is where the Inter ultras congregate, and the Curva Sud (south curve) is the spiritual home of the AC Milan’s ultras.
The sad news broke that both Inter and AC Milan were planning to move to a brand new stadium and that San Siro would be demolished, hence my rush to fly over and witness this fixture at the next available opportunity.
In my opinion, a stadium of such cultural heritage should never be knocked down. Make improvements to it, of course, but the stories of this hallowed ground must never be reduced to rubble.
It would later transpire that the demolition would be delayed until 2026, but we weren’t to know that at the time. We thought that 2021 or 2022 might be the year we say goodbye.
The highest scoring game between the two sides at San Siro was a blockbuster, which saw Inter overturn a 4-1 deficit to win 6-5 in 1949.
In 2001, AC Milan demolished their bitter rival 6-0. Such humiliation is simply a tragedy for the victims, yet delightful for the victors. Neither side would qualify for the Champions League that season, but this win would’ve no doubt provided some solace in an otherwise unremarkable campaign for the Rossoneri.
So many famous, and infamous, incidents have transpired from this chaotic fixture. Two sides who regularly contest each other for the Scudetto is almost guaranteed to result in fireworks.
Kick off approaches
Before venturing over to the stadium, I stopped by the Inter club shop in the city center to check out what merchandise was available. Now equipped with my black and blue scarf, I made my way to the ground to soak up the pre-game atmosphere.
Numerous stalls outside sell beer and food. The rain teemed down but we persisted until around half an hour before kickoff, rather than concede and make our way inside.
Grabbing a delicious slice of pizza, something not necessarily associated with soccer in England, felt perfectly acceptable in this part of the world – we could certainly learn a few things from the Italians when it comes to match day cuisine.
As the team buses arrived, scores of supporters cheered them on in the streets, despite the inclimate conditions.
Eventually, with our tickets and ID in hand, we queued at the security gate. A French guy we met insisted that we wouldn’t need our passports, but we had them just in case. The security guard duly asked us to verify our identities – whether our new friend got in or not remains a mystery.
The climb up the legendary spiral walkway was arduous, but gave us time to see the crowds gather in the roads below us.
As you enter the highest block of the Curva Sud, you can see that the stadium is clearly dated, but can’t help but be swept up in the aura of this theater of madness.
There were countless other groundhopping tourists like us in attendance. The middle tier of the Curva Sud is where the “away” fans, AC Milan in this instance, are located. We were sat in the section above them, which worked out perfectly because we could see the tifos and commotion of the Inter ultras in the opposite stand, but hear and feel the vibrating buzz of the AC Milan ultras below us.
As the displays of affection towards their beloved heroes were held aloft by the partisan crowd, the excitement was truly at fever pitch.
An unexpected first half
You’d never know that it was Inter who were the team chasing the league title from this first half. Turkish midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu, who would subsequently cross the city’s divide in a bombshell transfer, gave I Nerazzurri their first scare of the match.
AC Milan should’ve found themselves one down when Romero Lukaku’s marauding run and pass found his teammate, only for Vecino to deliver a lacklustre effort straight at the goalkeeper.
The home side had flashes of table-topping soccer but it was AC Milan who deservedly took the lead.
The evergreen Zlatan Ibrahimović leaped highest to feed Ante Rebić, who trickled the ball over the line to send the away supporters into raptures. Cue the red flares and vocal praise.
Veteran ‘keeper Daniele Padelli should’ve done much better with Zlatan’s header. A moment to forget for him and it sadly wouldn’t be his last of the first half.
When an in-swinging corner evaded the defenders in black and blue, the ball found the head of the Swedish danger man Ibrahimović once more who connected reasonably well with it, but it should still has been saved by the flailing goalkeeper who was having a day to forget so far.
The half-time whistle blew and jeers rained over the home player who weren’t performing close to a side who had title-winning ambitions.
They needed a rollicking, and that’s exactly what Inter manager Antonio Conte must’ve given them.
A whole new game
What he mightn’t have planned for was how the first Inter goal would be scored. Sometimes, when you’re against the cosh and things aren’t going your way, you need a star to step up and create a moment of magic. Marcelo Brozović provided just that.
With one of the sweetest volleys you’ll see all season, he dragged his side back into the game and the momentum was swinging only one way.
With less than 10 minutes played since the interval, Inter we’re back on level terms. A clever through ball found Alexis Sanchez who cut back and found Matías Vecino, who made amends for his earlier miss to send the San Siro wild.
We’ve all seen this time of game before; there was only ever going to be one winner. What might not have been predicted is that Dutch defender Stefan de Vrij would be the man to grab the eventual winner.
A routine corner was played in. When many players would opt to swing a boot at the low ball, de Vrij stooped down to glance a sumptuous header into the unguarded far corner and complete the turnaround. It was quickly becoming one of the all-time great derby games.
Inter twice could’ve put the game to bed: once when Christian Eriksen’s thunderbolt was inches away from becoming the goal of the season, and then as Nicolò Barella held on to the ball for too long after his run, giving Donnarumma the chance to smother the ball.
Of all people, you’d want Ibrahimović on the end of a floated back post cross to tie things up. When his header crashed off the post, you just knew it wasn’t AC Milan’s day.
With time winding down, Inter kept the ball by the corner flag for as long as they could, until Victor Moses saw the in-form Lukaku striding into the area. The Belgian connected with the cross to nod home and guarantee all three points for the hosts.
I didn’t want to referee to blow the full-time whistle on such a pulsating game, but watching it was almost as tiring as playing in it must’ve been.
Chaos to remember
How fortunate I felt to watch one of the rarest comebacks in the highest profile of games.
We dissected what we’d witnessed, still jittery with excitement. Post-match food was a must to boost those energy levels, so I opted for a panini outside the ground, as is the regular match day custom in Italia.
I’d always dreamed of seeing this derby in the flesh. Quite often such dreams disappoint when they become reality – this certainly didn’t. It was everything I could’ve hoped for and more.
I was so grateful to be within the walls and columns of the San Siro. It’s difficult to imagine the new stadium being anywhere near as iconic as Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, even with its shiny facade and modern facilities.
To say the San Siro needs a lick of paint would be an understatement, but that’s part of its charm. If you get the opportunity to go while it still stands, you won’t regret it.