“The Intense Rivalry Between Inter and Milan in the 2004/2005 Champions League Quarterfinals”

The image went down in history as a representation of the intense rivalry between the two Italian teams, which continues to this day. Marco Materazzi (Inter) and Rui Costa (Milan) contemplated the chaos installed on the field, after Inter fans threw torches and other objects onto the field, in the quarterfinals of the 2004/2005 Champions League.

The game was interrupted in the 73rd minute with Milan beating their great rivals by 1-0 and Dida, goalkeeper of the Rossoneri, leaving wounded, when he was hit by a torch. “The supporters started throwing objects and torches non-stop for 15 or 20 minutes. It was like a war,” he told BBC Stefano Rellandini, one of the photographers who captured the moment when Marco Materazzi leaned against Rui Costa, current president of Benfica.

The Reuters photographer recalled the tension felt at that meeting, “like every time there is a derby between Milan and Inter at San Siro”. “As soon as you set foot on that field, you can feel that it’s not just a football game. It is something more», said Stefano.

The tension between the two clubs has grown since 2003, the year in which Milan defeated Inter in the Champions League semi-finals on away goals (0-0 and 1-1), which “exploded with the disallowance of Estebán Cambiasso’s goal”, two years later. «The field was completely immersed in fog, nothing could be seen. Even if you wanted to take a picture of someone injured, it was impossible,” added the photographer.

Inter was fined 151,000 euros (the biggest fine in UEFA history) and the victory was handed over to Milan, who won 3-0 after also winning the first leg (2-0). The Italian team advanced to the final, where they lost against Liverpool on penalties, by 2-3.