Biggest Rivalries in Football: AC Milan Vs Inter

The Milan derby, a historic clash between Milan and Inter, stands as one of the most significant European and world city football rivalries, steeped in a rich history that resonates with football enthusiasts worldwide.

Milan, the second-largest city in Italy’s northern Lombardy region, is the capital. It’s famous for the world-renowned Milan Scala, a center for fashion, and stunning architecture. The city also boasts two prominent football clubs.

The clash between these two giants, AC Milan and Inter Milan, is called the Derby della Madonnina, named after the iconic statue of the Virgin Mary atop the Duomo, Milan’s famed cathedral.

The story begins on January 10, 1909, when the “red-black” and “black-blue” met for the first time. 

Milan was founded a decade earlier, and the club’s colors, red and black, earned it the nickname “Rossoneri.” 

Nine years later, i.e. in 1908, the city rival Inter was founded, which, unlike its older “brother,” tried to have players from other countries, not just Italy, in its ranks, which is why it got the “international” name. 

Thus, in 1909, the conditions were met for the first official match to be played, which marked the beginning of the rivalry between the two Milan sides, which continues to this day. 

True, at the end of 1908, these rivals played a match in the final of the Chiasso Cup, when Milan won 2:1, but then it was not a competitive match. 

In the Italian Football Championship (precursor of Serie A), Milan was better and won the match 3:2 in that first derby, but already the following year, the Inters hit back—and in a perfect way! Inter won convincingly in both derbies: first away at 5:0 and then in front of their fans at 5:1.

The years that followed could not be imagined without the two Milanese clubs. Inter and Milan won a combined 39 championship titles (Inter 20, Milan 19). And in the Italian Cup, the Rossoneri and the Nerazzurri had a lot of success. 

Inter won 9 National cups, and Milan five. When you add to that the trophies in Europe (Milan seven times champion of the Old Continent, Inter three times) and cups in the Europa League and the European Super Cup, it is clear what kind of giants we are talking about.

Milanistas and Interistas are often equivalent in number when gathering a company of friends but are slightly different in terms of characteristics. 

Tradition says that sociologically, there have always been many Inter fans in the middle and upper classes, while many Milan fans belong to the working class. 

The geographic center of Milan is more for Inter and the periphery for Milan.

 According to estimates, Milan has 4,222,000 fans in Italy, and Inter has 3,955,000. 

They are in second and third place in the country, and the first is by far Juventus, who rules with 8 million.

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