The Milan skyline twinkles in the setting sun as the city prepares for the biggest derby in two decades. AC Milan and Inter Milan are set to face off in a Champions League semi-final, a game that will dominate the city in a red-on-blue psychodrama. The stakes could not be higher, with neither team guaranteed a spot in next season’s competition. Milan, in particular, has struggled this season, with just three wins in 12 games. However, the Champions League has provided them with a lifeline. This competition has played a crucial role in constructing Milan’s sense of self, with their rich and gilded history fully curated and chronicled.
For Milan, the derby represents a chance to reclaim not only pride and silverware but also a piece of themselves. Meanwhile, Inter fans are optimistic about their chances but admit to feeling dread at the thought of losing to Milan. The rivalry between the two clubs is strange as there is no real ideological, sociological, or geographical divide between them. Instead, the fans are divided along tribal lines, with neighborhoods, workplaces, and even families split in their support. Although the derby may test the fans’ loyalty to breaking point, there is generally no hate between them. However, the two clubs’ ultras will undoubtedly add to the fire and fervor.
Italian football is at a precarious place, bearing the scars of neglect and underinvestment, which is choking on the dust of the Premier League. Neither Milan nor Inter are in a position to sign the world’s best players, and they will have to fight to keep their best players this summer. Despite this, the two clubs are beginning to emerge from the financial wilderness, with Inter recapturing the scudetto in 2021 and Milan following them under Pioli last year. However, the Milan derby is an opportunity to stir the senses and memories of a more glorious period in Italian football, even if it’s hard to envision either club winning the competition.
