Written by Matteo Ciaramella
A game for the ages is upon us.
Milan and Inter face each other in a Derby della Madonnina for access to the Champions League final.
The stage is set. The world is ready – but does the world know what this game means to the Milanese people?
The rivalry between Inter and Milan is unique: a contest of mutual respect and unusual parity. Both teams are giants in the football world, creating an ever-so fragile balance that can be tipped at any given moment, at any given game.
If you were to immerse yourself into the Milanese way of life, you would see that little mocking and derision is exchanged between the two sides. We enjoy amicable relations, our lives are always intertwined, and there is no division whatsoever.
Unless the big game is coming up, that is.
It all comes down to that frail balance. We know that it is always at risk of favoring our biggest rivals, and thus a sharp, underlying tension accompanies us in our daily lives. So, we tend to let the rivalry exclusively concentrate in the days before and following a derby.
It is almost like we store our emotions inside out of fear of speaking too soon. Italians are very superstitious, mind you. Perhaps, it is for this very reason that the feeling of a derby win is an indescribable sigh of relief. “I think that the greatest thing after a derby win is not feeling the pressure anymore,” says Umberto, an Inter fan. “When the game is gone I’m happy about it.”
Pressure. Tension. Fear. This is what a normal Milan derby entails. Now take those emotions, and put them in a Champions League semi final context. Yeah, scary. “I don’t wanna think about it, my heart races so quickly” adds Milan fan Francesco, while Umberto states that “Being from Milan, we can sense it even more because we see how the city stops and watches the game.”
A win, in Umberto’s words, is like “taking off your backpack after a 5 hour hike.” Francesco prefers to describe it as “being on top of the world.”
As for me, a win is being able to wake up confident the following morning.
A win is being able to walk with my head up high in the streets.
A win is being able to smile as I stroll by different buildings, because the city feels mine. I belong to it and it to me because my team won.
A derby win means you can afford to walk into work, school, whatever it is, with a grin on your face. Jokes and banter to tell your rival friends are exploding in your head – you cannot wait to let them truly feel the loss. Finally, an opportunity to brag about the balance tipping to your side. According to Umberto, winning a derby evokes “a real sense of dominance” while Francesco craves the possibility of proudly stating that “Milano è rossonera” (Milan is red and black) until the next derby. Because despite us spending time together, ignoring the rivalry and usually brushing it under the rug, it is still there in a truly lingering state. A derby win is the ultimate release of emotions.
Imagine all of this combined with access to a Champions League final. The city, regardless of the victor, will see once-in-a-lifetime celebrations.
“If we manage to go through, oh mamma mia, it’s gonna be crazy. Crazier than when we won the Scudetto last year.” says Francesco.
“It’s gonna be madness.”