By Emma Petzoldt
Last Saturday, Inter Milan beat rivals Juventus 3-2 with a 90th-minute goal from Polish footballer Piotr Zieliński, winning the famous Derby d’Italia. But why is the match between Inter Milan and Juventus called the Derby d’Italia?
Inter Milan and Juventus are two of the most popular and decorated football clubs in Italy. Inter, formally known as “Internazionale Milano,” is based in Milan and was founded in 1908 after splitting from Milan Foot-ball and Cricket Club, now AC Milan. Since its founding, Inter has won one UEFA Champions League, twenty Serie A titles, three UEFA Cups, one FIFA Club World Cup, nine Coppa Italia titles, eight Supercoppa Italiana titles, and two Intercontinental Cups in 1964 and 1965. Most notably, they achieved the “Treble” by winning the Serie A, Coppa Italia, and UEFA Champions League in the 2009/2010 season.
Juventus, based in Turin, was founded in 1897 and is Italy’s most domestically decorated club. They have won one UEFA Champions League, thirty-six Serie A titles, two UEFA Super Cups, three UEFA Cups, fifteen Coppa Italia titles, nine Supercoppa Italiana titles, one Serie B title, and two Intercontinental Cups.
Saturday’s game sparked controversy after Juventus’s Pierre Kalulu received a red card in the 42nd minute. Many fans criticized the decision and the VAR’s inability to overturn it. Later, Rocchi admitted the error and expressed deep regret, as Juventus had to play with ten men for half the match. While controversy is nothing new for this derby, its intensity has historic roots.
Juventus vs Inter is one of the most intense and eventful games in the Serie A season. The term “Derby d’Italia” was coined in 1967 by Italian sports journalist Gianni Brera. When the two most successful Italian teams faced each other, Brera wondered how to name the match. He chose “Derby d’Italia” because this cross-city rivalry captivated the entire nation. However, the rivalry itself predates 1967. Since the founding of both clubs, they have met 181 times starting in 1909: Juventus has won 87 matches, Inter 48, with 46 draws.
After Juventus’s “golden era,” during which they won nine consecutive Serie A titles from 2011 to 2020, Inter has returned as one of Italy’s top teams. Since 2020, Inter have won two Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia titles, and three Supercoppa Italiana titles, and have reached two UEFA Champions League finals.
In conclusion, Juventus vs Inter is one of Italy’s most iconic and significant fixtures. The Derby d’Italia symbolizes not just a clash between two of the country’s most successful clubs, but also a battle of history, controversy, and national identity that defines Italian football.
