Article by Raffaele (@ItalianoCalcio)
This weekend’s marquee matchup is Inter vs. Milan; the Milan Derby. Sure, there isn’t the same cachet about this game given both clubs are not at their apex, but there is still excitement. We will witness a first ever with this Milan Derby. Inter-Milan will square off in the “lunch-time” game in Italy, never before have they played a Milan Derby at this time. There has been chatter in Italy that the reason for playing this game so early is to cater to the Asian market, given the new Inter ownership group and incoming new Asian Milan ownership group.
The two clubs currently sit in 6th (Milan) and 7th place (Inter) and are separated by only one point. Both clubs are fighting to qualify for the Europa League, and that alone tells you where both currently stand in Italian football. The Milan Derby used to be a spectacle like no other, when the winner might affect who would qualify for the Champions League, or to win the scudetto, not for a place in the Europa League.
No more Moratti or Berlusconi. The days of Maldini and Zanetti are far behind us, so what does the future of this rivalry look like? Both clubs have young players that could help add a new fold to the rivalry. Players like Icardi, Gagliardini, Gabigol, Donnarumma, Romagnoli, and Locatelli are all young and if they stay with their clubs for a while, a genuine dislike could emerge. You can’t force players to not like each other, but it is up to the young players to keep the rivalry going. Until both clubs start to maintain some stability, the attraction of the Milan Derby will not return. Both teams have been changing coaches like it is going out of style, heavy player turnover is another problem. Two things must happen to rejuvenate this rivalry:
1) Each team must re-establish their identity and establish continuity
2) The overall talent within each club must improve for them to become more competitive
Both clubs have their marquee player; Inter have Icardi and Milan have Donnarumma. It will be great to see these two battle for years to come. Striker vs. Goalie, this is a good starting point to rejuvenate the rivalry.
Both clubs have new, wealthy owners that want to bring their respective clubs back to the top. As long as the teams don’t spend money foolishly, but they do so strategically, we could see Milan and Inter back to competing in Serie A. Milan lagged a bit behind their city rivals, they kept pushing back closing dates for a sale, which seemed to be delaying a new, fresh beginning. Now that Milan have officially been sold, a new era will begin there. We have already seen Inter’s new ownership group pump money into the club and sign new players. Hopefully we get back to a point where Milan and Inter compete to sign the best talent and battle each other for the scudetto.
Inter come into the Milan Derby on anything but a high note. They are losers of two in a row and one of those losses came against the lowly Crotone. Milan come in on a little bit of a high, they are unbeaten in their last 3 games (two of those are wins). Over their last six meetings in Serie A, Milan has won two games, Inter has won one, and they have drawn in the other three.
With so much uncertainty ahead of us, one thing we do know, we can’t wait to see the Milan Derby return to the level it once was. Hopefully that day is not too far away.
