Derby della Madonnina

Lore & Background

In the past, Inter Milan (commonly abbreviated to Inter) was seen as the club of the Milan bourgeoisie (nicknamed bauscia [baˈyʃa], a Milanese term meaning 'braggart'), whereas Milan was supported mainly by the working class (nicknamed casciavid [kaʃaˈʋiːt], meaning 'screwdriver', with reference to the blue-collar worker). Because of their more prosperous ancestry, Inter fans had the 'luxury' to go to the San Siro stadium by motorcycle (motoretta, another nickname given to the Nerazzurri). On the other hand, the Rossoneri were also known as tramvee or tranvee (i.e. able to be transferred to the stadium only by 'tram', or public transport). Today, this socioeconomic divide has largely been mitigated and preference for either club is personal or familial. Taking place at least twice during the year via the league fixtures, this cross-town rivalry has extended to the Coppa Italia, Champions League, and Supercoppa Italiana, as well as minor tournaments and friendlies. It is one of the two major crosstown derbies in association football that are always played in the same stadium, in this case the San Siro, as both Inter and AC Milan call San Siro 'home', the other derby being Derby della Capitale. Though both clubs share this stadium, Inter ultras traditionally occupy the stadium’s northern end (Curva Nord) while Milan ultras occupy the southern end (Curva Sud).

In Their Own Story

The fog rolled off the Navigli canals as the lights of the San Siro cut through the Milanese night. Inside the stadium, the air was thick with tension, a palpable electricity that had nothing to do with the weather. On one side of the tunnel, a player adjusted his red and black stripes; on the other, a rival buttoned his blue and black jersey. They were neighbors, friends, perhaps even cousins who shared a table at Sunday dinner, yet here they stood as enemies. The Madonnina watched silently from her perch high above, witnessing another chapter of the eternal struggle for Milan.

Reader's Guide

The first derby match between the two Milanese rivals was held in the final of the Chiasso Cup of 1908, a football tournament played in Canton Ticino, Switzerland, on 18 October of that year; the Rossoneri won 2–1. While Inter and Milan faced each other sporadically in the early years, the rivalry has been renewed annually since the inaugural 1926–27 season of the Divisione Nazionale, the first truly national Italian league. The two teams have played each other at least twice a year since then. Inter won the first Serie A title in 1929-1930, in the first edition of the Italian Football Championship (the third league title for the club after 1910 and 1920). Inter won again in 1938 and 1940 with one of the greatest players of all time Giuseppe Meazza who held the title of top scorer in the Milan derbies until 2005. Between 1928 and 1938 there were 10 victories for Inter, 7 draws and none for AC Milan, the longest period without a win in the history of Derby. In 1951 Milan finally win the first Serie A, and the first league title since 1907 after 44 years. In the 1960s, the Milan derby saw two big stars of Italian football come face-to-face: Sandro Mazzola for Inter and Gianni Rivera for Milan. This era saw brilliant derby matches and an increasing rivalry. The derby did not take place in 1980-1981 and 1982-1983 in Serie A, due to AC Milan's double relegation to Serie B. The two clubs famously met in the semi-finals of the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League, their first ever European matches against one another, in which Milan went through on the away goals rule despite both clubs playing at the same stadium; Milan would go on to win the competition. They met again in the quarter-finals of the 2004–05 edition; Milan triumphed on aggregate after UEFA awarded them a 3–0 victory in the second leg, as the match was abandoned due to flares thrown by Inter fans. The two clubs met once again in the semi-finals of the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League.

Did You Know?

• The split that led to the foundation of Inter Milan occurred on 9 March 1908, not in December 1908.
• The first derby match was played in Switzerland on 18 October 1908, with AC Milan winning 2–1.
• Between 1928 and 1938, Inter had 10 victories, 7 draws, and AC Milan had none—the longest winless streak in derby history.
• The derby is one of only two major crosstown derbies in football always played in the same stadium, the other being the Derby della Capitale.