Written by Matteo Ciaramella
Yes, I know. It would have made more sense to publish this article on the anniversary of this magnificent game, but my fingers are literally itching to write about the best Derby della Madonnina of all time: Inter vs. Milan, 0-6, May 11th, 2001.
As a Milan fan, I can confidently tell you that we will never let our cross city rivals forget what went down that night. We have chants about it, and every year we kindly remind the world of the result of that game.
The 2000-2001 season will always be marked by this derby, at least for Milanese football. This is because this memorable and iconic game was the sole noteworthy event for these two teams that season. Quite a mediocre campaign for Milan and Inter, and if I were to write an article about anything else that happened in 2000-2001, you would have stopped reading this by now. The greatness of this derby essentially saved the legacy of this season from Milan’s perspective, and sank it from Inter’s, as the two sides finished in seventh and fifth respectively. The subpar performances made this a hardly memorable time for Milanese football, and thus paved the way for this one game to define an entire season.
Going into this derby, naturally no one expected this outcome. Although Milan was better on paper, their performances on the field showed that they were ultimately evenly matched with Inter. The Rossoneri might have had the likes of Shevchenko, Gattuso, and Maldini, but no one really saw them as undisputed favorites, especially with a line up featuring several key players out of position, such as Gattuso at right winger and Kaladze in the midfield. Milan was not in the best shape, and many thought that Inter might make the best of the situation and snatch a few points from the hated rivals. The football Gods, however, had other plans…
We know that this derby was like no other. The goal margin itself makes it a game for the ages, an instant classic of Italian football. But personally, I love the strange circumstances around this match. With 2000-2001 being an underwhelming season for both sides, this derby realistically meant nothing for the league as a whole, when it is usually vital in determining an eventual league champion, or is worth precious points for UCL qualification. The fact that we got such a memorable game in such a forgettable season is truly baffling.
What’s more mind boggling, is how this derby was taken over by the most unlikely heroes. Does the name Gianni Comandini ring any bells? Probably not. And if it does, there is a 99% chance that you know the guy because of this game.
Comandini signed for Milan in 2000 after a good season in Serie B, netting 20 league goals for Vicenza. He was unfortunately unable to carry that form onto the Serie A stage in the next campaign, as he only managed to score 2 goals in 2000-2001.
Both came in this derby.
On that day, for just 90 minutes, Gianni Comandini became a world-class striker.
It took him less than 20 minutes to score a brace against the rivals, with two goals da attaccante di razza – an italian term used to describe pure strikers with tremendous goal-scoring abilities. Probably the player everyone least expected to absolutely embarrass Inter’s defense, Comandini gave the Rossoneri a 2-0 lead with 70 minutes to go.
But the show was just getting started.
The third goal came at the beginning of the second half. Right between the penalty box and the halfway line, Federico Giunti stepped up to cross the ball in with a freekick. Without meaning to do so, however, Giunti’s freekick ended up in the net, courtesy of an awkward bounce and confusion in Inter’s defense. An unexpected goal from yet another unexpected hero.
Milan could have ended the game right there and then, and it would have still been an all-time classic to remember for years to come, especially considering the names of those who contributed to this thrashing. But as we now know, Milan was only halfway done with their merciless beating, because in came the superstars.
It was now Andriiy Shevchenko’s turn to get his name on the scoresheet. After all, it would be weird if he didn’t. The man was on fire that season, and he did not disappoint in this game with his 2 goals, which ended up being his 22nd and 23rd that season. First, a marvelous header towering over Dario Simic, and then a cheeky, yet powerful finish to deny Inter’s goalkeeper Sebastien Frey a touch of the ball.
5-0. This was getting painful.
But Milan had one more trick up their sleeve.
After providing 3 assists, Serginho decided to put the nail in the coffin with a goal that perfectly sums up how he played in this game – that is, with mind blowing pace and uncontrollable dribbling. The Brazilian star dashed past the Inter defense one last time and accurately placed the ball into the bottom right corner, as the game came down to its final 10 minutes.
With the final whistle, this atrocious battering came to an end. Milan fans were left with never ending pride, while Inter supporters would now have to live with constant embarrassment.
This game will never be forgotten.
11 Maggio 2001
E quella data non la scorda più nessuno
Ma soprattutto l’Azzurronero
Perché quel derby l’abbiam vinto 6-0
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