Former Inter president Massimo Moratti discussed the Milanese derby and told a story about former Inter midfielder Nicolino Berti in an interview in today’s paper edition of the Milano based newspaper Corriere della Sera.
“He started a month earlier, ‘President, there’s the derby’. And I said, ‘I know Berti very well, but there are four weeks to go’. The next time, ‘President, this is it’. ‘Berti, don’t worry, there are other games first’. Two weeks later, ‘President, I’m not sleeping because of the derby.’ It’s useless to talk about the days immediately behind us. Never anyone like him. Berti was in a trance, every vital function tuned to the derby. In some ways I can understand that. It happened to me when I was a kid. When I got out of the stadium, I was so exhausted with emotion, I fell asleep in the car. I’d sit down and my eyes would close by themselves.”
Moratti then touched on the emotions the day after the Milanese derby.
“Nothing. Unless there was malice aforethought, the arguing was useless. You don’t need the power, damage done. You need authority when the team wins and you risk resting on your laurels. It’s a bit like with kids. By the way, I still don’t know if I’m going to the stadium to watch the derby. They’ll decide. If you ask, ‘Dad, can we watch it together on TV?’, I’ll stay home. You’re happy when they’re happy. It never changes, all your life you keep thinking of them as your children, no matter what age they are.”
Finally, Moratti spoke about his favourite derby game.
“1960. One-nil. Because Herrera invented this winning move, which seemed to some the maddest thing, Bicicli on the wing marking Sani, in the end so asphyxiated as to lift the weight of Bicicli and throw him in the air. And then because Picchi scored. And Picchi, like Facchetti, could not have been captain if not for Inter. And he makes us win the derby.”
Inter are currently 2nd in the league table after 22 games, sitting 19 points ahead of AC Milan. The Nerazzurri are only three points behind rivals and league leaders Juventus and could tie the Bianconeri on points if they win the derby tonight. Lazio are only one point behind Inter and could overtake the Nerazzurri if they beat Parma this afternoon and the Nerazzurri fail to secure the three points against the Rossoneri.
Inter have won their last three Milanese derbies in the league, with the Rossoneri struggling to overcome their cousins. However, the Rossoneri have earnt 11 points so far in 2020, with the Nerazzurri only earning nine, showing the slight difference in recent form.