Inter face a major rival tomorrow in Serie A when Juventus travel to the San Siro, both contemporary and also in terms of historical episodes.
This is highlighted in today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, who note some of the most significant moments which have heated up the rivalry between two of Italy’s top clubs.
One key moment which sparked the feud was the so-called “De Martino” team, in which the Nerazzurri of Helenio Herrerra and Angelo Moratti played their youth reserved in a match which the Italian FA had ordered to be replayed due to a pitch invasion by Juventus supporters.
The decision by Inter was taken in protest of the FA’s decision, and saw the team defeated 9-1 on an occasion which saw the first-team legend Sandro Mazzola, while legendary striker Giampiero Boniperi played his last match for the Bianconeri.
Also highlighted are the decisions of legendary Inter strikers Roberto Boninsegna and Alessandro Altobelli to join the Bianconeri towards the end of their careers, which caused create controversy with Nerazzurri supporters.
Meanwhile, coach Giovanni Trapattoni won the Scudetto with the Nerazzurri in between two spells with Juventus, something which did not go down well with supporters of the latter.
Inter midfielder Giampiero Marini was injured when a team coach was attacked by Juventus supporters, another episode which continues to weigh on the fixture.
One of the most infamous episodes in the history of the fixture came in 1998, when the Nerazzurri had the chance to jump ahead of the Bianconeri who were one point ahead of them in the Serie A table in a head-to-head clash in Turin.
With Juventus 1-0 up in the match, legendary Nerazzurri striker Ronaldo looked to have been fouled by Bianconeri defender Mark Iuliano in the penalty area during the second half, but no penalty was awarded.
The incident caused the Nerazzurri players to become irate, and in the ensuing chaos as they confronted the official, Alessandro Del Piero was awarded a penalty at the other end from a counter-attack.
Among more recent episodes which have stoked the sense of competitiveness between the two clubs, the decision of Beppe Marotta to join Inter as CEO in 2018 after years of success with the Bianconeri is prominent, while Antonio Conte’s criticisms of Bianconeri President Andrea Agnelli remain fierce even years after his tenure with the Turin club.
Tomorrow’s match pits last season’s Scudetto-winners in the form of Inter against the club who they dethroned following a nine-year run in the form of Juventus.
This season Inter have enjoyed a strong if noticeably imperfect start to their Scudetto defense, while Juventus have ground to make up following a poor start though they appear to have recovered.
Whether either club win Serie A this season and whether tomorrow’s match proves to be decisive, however, the rivalry will be as intense as ever between the two clubs and the significance goes back a long way.
