AC Milan vs Inter Milan

Lore & Background

In 1908, a split occurred due to internal disagreements over the signing of foreign players, leading to the formation of Internazionale. The club's rivalry with Inter is known as the Derby della Madonnina.

In Their Own Story

Inside San Siro, the air hangs heavy with the acrid smoke of flares and the electric charge of eighty thousand voices screaming in unison—or defiance. The Curva Sud erupts in a wall of red and black; the Curva Nord answers with a tidal wave of blue and black. When the referee blows for kickoff, 'Milan' ceases to exist. For ninety minutes, there is only the battle. A misplaced pass near the halfway line triggers a roar that rattles the stadium's foundations. The net ripples, but in this city, the goal is merely a footnote. What matters is who owns the streets when the floodlights finally dim.

Reader's Guide

Milan has won 19 league titles, 5 Coppa Italia titles, and 7 European Cup/Champions League titles. The club's most successful period included Silvio Berlusconi's ownership, during which they won 29 trophies.

Did You Know?

• Milan was the first team to win Serie A without losing a game, in the 1991–92 season.
• Three Milan players—Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, and Frank Rijkaard—ranked in the top three for the 1988 Ballon d'Or, an unprecedented achievement.
• The club's stadium, San Siro, was built by Milan's second chairman, Piero Pirelli.