The 2002/03 season was my first as a UEFA reporter. It was one to remember, and it was a lot of work in a magical season for Italian teams in the UEFA Champions League. And, of course, the all-Italian final between Milan and Juventus in Manchester followed that Milanese derby in the semi-finals that enraptured the entire city.
Now Inter and AC Milan once again go head to head in the last four of the UEFA Champions League, 20 years after that pulsating tie. At least I know how it feels this time around; I’m prepared, and I’m not the only one. “It was a short week: Wednesday and Tuesday, we had six days of total tension,” said former Milan player and current technical director Paolo Maldini. His long-time team-mate Alessandro Costacurta added: “I remember the derbies. They dominated the previous month of work. Those were the worst days of my long football life. I was already 37 – I was experienced and I didn't have to deal with performance anxiety – but it was impossible not to think constantly about those games.”
History repeats itself but this time the circumstances are certainly different. In 2003, Milan qualified for the final after two draws: 0-0 when the Rossoneri were the ‘home’ side, and 1-1 when Inter were the nominal hosts. The away-goals rule is now gone, however, meaning the same scoreline would lead to extra time.
In games like this, a single moment can remain with you for the rest of your life. After the goalless draw in the first leg, Andriy Shevchenko scored the crucial ‘away’ goal for Milan in the return; seven minutes from time, substitute Obafemi Martins struck an equaliser. A couple of minutes after that it was another Inter replacement, Mohamed Kallon, who found himself with only Christian Abbiati – in for the injured Dida – to beat. Score and the Nerazzurri were in the final.
The Milan goalkeeper, however, somehow deflected his shot wide with his knee. “If there is one game I would like to play again, it is that derby in 2003,” said Kallon after his retirement. Abbiati added: “The one from Kallon will remain the most important save I made in a derby in my entire career.”
The 2002/03 season was my first as a UEFA reporter. It was one to remember, and it was a lot of work in a magical season for Italian teams in the UEFA Champions League. And, of course, the all-Italian final between Milan and Juventus in Manchester followed that Milanese derby in the semi-finals that enraptured the entire city.
Now Inter and AC Milan once again go head to head in the last four of the UEFA Champions League, 20 years after that pulsating tie. At least I know how it feels this time around; I’m prepared, and I’m not the only one. “It was a short week: Wednesday and Tuesday, we had six days of total tension,” said former Milan player and current technical director Paolo Maldini. His long-time team-mate Alessandro Costacurta added: “I remember the derbies. They dominated the previous month of work. Those were the worst days of my long football life. I was already 37 – I was experienced and I didn't have to deal with performance anxiety – but it was impossible not to think constantly about those games.”
History repeats itself but this time the circumstances are certainly different. In 2003, Milan qualified for the final after two draws: 0-0 when the Rossoneri were the ‘home’ side, and 1-1 when Inter were the nominal hosts. The away-goals rule is now gone, however, meaning the same scoreline would lead to extra time.
In games like this, a single moment can remain with you for the rest of your life. After the goalless draw in the first leg, Andriy Shevchenko scored the crucial ‘away’ goal for Milan in the return; seven minutes from time, substitute Obafemi Martins struck an equaliser. A couple of minutes after that it was another Inter replacement, Mohamed Kallon, who found himself with only Christian Abbiati – in for the injured Dida – to beat. Score and the Nerazzurri were in the final.
The Milan goalkeeper, however, somehow deflected his shot wide with his knee. “If there is one game I would like to play again, it is that derby in 2003,” said Kallon after his retirement. Abbiati added: “The one from Kallon will remain the most important save I made in a derby in my entire career.”
History is repeating, but this was a different time.
Stefano Pioli was coaching in the Chievo Verona youth system; Simone Inzaghi was still playing at Lazio. Alessandro Bastoni, Brahim Díaz and Rafael Leão – all born in 1999 – were still in nursery. Inter’s promising midfielder Valentín Carboni was not even born.
Héctor Cúper was the Inter coach and Carlo Ancelotti was in the dugout for Milan, in the infancy of his 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree-formation revolution. Ancelotti had the best midfield I’ve ever seen: the sophisticated trio of Clarence Seedorf, Andrea Pirlo and Rui Costa, allied with the gritty and tireless Gennaro Gattuso.
Both teams were full of great champions. Many of them are still in football, with important executive roles for both captains Javier Zanetti (Inter vice-president) and Maldini; Rui Costa, meanwhile, is the president of Benfica, the team Inter eliminated to reach the last four. Sérgio Conceição is one of the most promising coaches in Europe right now after his great results with Porto.
Many of those players are still very popular among Italian fans thanks to their roles as Champions League TV pundits. Among that number is Seedorf, who played for both clubs during his career and remains the only player to have lifted the trophy with three different teams. “There was great tension 20 years ago,” he said. “There were two draws. In the return leg I had the assist for Sheva’s goal. Now Milan and Inter deserve to have reached this milestone again. I expect two exciting derbies, I can't wait. Italy will once again have a team in the Champions League final.”
Will it be Inter, the last Italian team to lift the trophy (in 2010) or seven-time European champions Milan, who are on a mission to banish the memories of their last visit to Istanbul for a final? One thing’s for sure: there won’t be much in the way of sleep in Milan after that second leg.
The 2002/03 season was my first as a UEFA reporter. It was one to remember, and it was a lot of work in a magical season for Italian teams in the UEFA Champions League. And, of course, the all-Italian final between Milan and Juventus in Manchester followed that Milanese derby in the semi-finals that enraptured the entire city.
Now Inter and AC Milan once again go head to head in the last four of the UEFA Champions League, 20 years after that pulsating tie. At least I know how it feels this time around; I’m prepared, and I’m not the only one. “It was a short week: Wednesday and Tuesday, we had six days of total tension,” said former Milan player and current technical director Paolo Maldini. His long-time team-mate Alessandro Costacurta added: “I remember the derbies. They dominated the previous month of work. Those were the worst days of my long football life. I was already 37 – I was experienced and I didn't have to deal with performance anxiety – but it was impossible not to think constantly about those games.”
History repeats itself but this time the circumstances are certainly different. In 2003, Milan qualified for the final after two draws: 0-0 when the Rossoneri were the ‘home’ side, and 1-1 when Inter were the nominal hosts. The away-goals rule is now gone, however, meaning the same scoreline would lead to extra time.
In games like this, a single moment can remain with you for the rest of your life. After the goalless draw in the first leg, Andriy Shevchenko scored the crucial ‘away’ goal for Milan in the return; seven minutes from time, substitute Obafemi Martins struck an equaliser. A couple of minutes after that it was another Inter replacement, Mohamed Kallon, who found himself with only Christian Abbiati – in for the injured Dida – to beat. Score and the Nerazzurri were in the final.
The Milan goalkeeper, however, somehow deflected his shot wide with his knee. “If there is one game I would like to play again, it is that derby in 2003,” said Kallon after his retirement. Abbiati added: “The one from Kallon will remain the most important save I made in a derby in my entire career.”
The 2002/03 season was my first as a UEFA reporter. It was one to remember, and it was a lot of work in a magical season for Italian teams in the UEFA Champions League. And, of course, the all-Italian final between Milan and Juventus in Manchester followed that Milanese derby in the semi-finals that enraptured the entire city.
Now Inter and AC Milan once again go head to head in the last four of the UEFA Champions League, 20 years after that pulsating tie. At least I know how it feels this time around; I’m prepared, and I’m not the only one. “It was a short week: Wednesday and Tuesday, we had six days of total tension,” said former Milan player and current technical director Paolo Maldini. His long-time team-mate Alessandro Costacurta added: “I remember the derbies. They dominated the previous month of work. Those were the worst days of my long football life. I was already 37 – I was experienced and I didn't have to deal with performance anxiety – but it was impossible not to think constantly about those games.”
History repeats itself but this time the circumstances are certainly different. In 2003, Milan qualified for the final after two draws: 0-0 when the Rossoneri were the ‘home’ side, and 1-1 when Inter were the nominal hosts. The away-goals rule is now gone, however, meaning the same scoreline would lead to extra time.
In games like this, a single moment can remain with you for the rest of your life. After the goalless draw in the first leg, Andriy Shevchenko scored the crucial ‘away’ goal for Milan in the return; seven minutes from time, substitute Obafemi Martins struck an equaliser. A couple of minutes after that it was another Inter replacement, Mohamed Kallon, who found himself with only Christian Abbiati – in for the injured Dida – to beat. Score and the Nerazzurri were in the final.
The Milan goalkeeper, however, somehow deflected his shot wide with his knee. “If there is one game I would like to play again, it is that derby in 2003,” said Kallon after his retirement. Abbiati added: “The one from Kallon will remain the most important save I made in a derby in my entire career.”
The 2002/03 season was my first as a UEFA reporter. It was one to remember, and it was a lot of work in a magical season for Italian teams in the UEFA Champions League. And, of course, the all-Italian final between Milan and Juventus in Manchester followed that Milanese derby in the semi-finals that enraptured the entire city.
Now Inter and AC Milan once again go head to head in the last four of the UEFA Champions League, 20 years after that pulsating tie. At least I know how it feels this time around; I’m prepared, and I’m not the only one. “It was a short week: Wednesday and Tuesday, we had six days of total tension,” said former Milan player and current technical director Paolo Maldini. His long-time team-mate Alessandro Costacurta added: “I remember the derbies. They dominated the previous month of work. Those were the worst days of my long football life. I was already 37 – I was experienced and I didn't have to deal with performance anxiety – but it was impossible not to think constantly about those games.”
History repeats itself but this time the circumstances are certainly different. In 2003, Milan qualified for the final after two draws: 0-0 when the Rossoneri were the ‘home’ side, and 1-1 when Inter were the nominal hosts. The away-goals rule is now gone, however, meaning the same scoreline would lead to extra time.
In games like this, a single moment can remain with you for the rest of your life. After the goalless draw in the first leg, Andriy Shevchenko scored the crucial ‘away’ goal for Milan in the return; seven minutes from time, substitute Obafemi Martins struck an equaliser. A couple of minutes after that it was another Inter replacement, Mohamed Kallon, who found himself with only Christian Abbiati – in for the injured Dida – to beat. Score and the Nerazzurri were in the final.
The Milan goalkeeper, however, somehow deflected his shot wide with his knee. “If there is one game I would like to play again, it is that derby in 2003,” said Kallon after his retirement. Abbiati added: “The one from Kallon will remain the most important save I made in a derby in my entire career.”
History is repeating, but this was a different time.
Stefano Pioli was coaching in the Chievo Verona youth system; Simone Inzaghi was still playing at Lazio. Alessandro Bastoni, Brahim Díaz and Rafael Leão – all born in 1999 – were still in nursery. Inter’s promising midfielder Valentín Carboni was not even born.
Héctor Cúper was the Inter coach and Carlo Ancelotti was in the dugout for Milan, in the infancy of his 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree-formation revolution. Ancelotti had the best midfield I’ve ever seen: the sophisticated trio of Clarence Seedorf, Andrea Pirlo and Rui Costa, allied with the gritty and tireless Gennaro Gattuso.
Both teams were full of great champions. Many of them are still in football, with important executive roles for both captains Javier Zanetti (Inter vice-president) and Maldini; Rui Costa, meanwhile, is the president of Benfica, the team Inter eliminated to reach the last four. Sérgio Conceição is one of the most promising coaches in Europe right now after his great results with Porto.
Many of those players are still very popular among Italian fans thanks to their roles as Champions League TV pundits. Among that number is Seedorf, who played for both clubs during his career and remains the only player to have lifted the trophy with three different teams. “There was great tension 20 years ago,” he said. “There were two draws. In the return leg I had the assist for Sheva’s goal. Now Milan and Inter deserve to have reached this milestone again. I expect two exciting derbies, I can't wait. Italy will once again have a team in the Champions League final.”
Will it be Inter, the last Italian team to lift the trophy (in 2010) or seven-time European champions Milan, who are on a mission to banish the memories of their last visit to Istanbul for a final? One thing’s for sure: there won’t be much in the way of sleep in Milan after that second leg.
The 2002/03 season was my first as a UEFA reporter. It was one to remember, and it was a lot of work in a magical season for Italian teams in the UEFA Champions League. And, of course, the all-Italian final between Milan and Juventus in Manchester followed that Milanese derby in the semi-finals that enraptured the entire city.
Now Inter and AC Milan once again go head to head in the last four of the UEFA Champions League, 20 years after that pulsating tie. At least I know how it feels this time around; I’m prepared, and I’m not the only one. “It was a short week: Wednesday and Tuesday, we had six days of total tension,” said former Milan player and current technical director Paolo Maldini. His long-time team-mate Alessandro Costacurta added: “I remember the derbies. They dominated the previous month of work. Those were the worst days of my long football life. I was already 37 – I was experienced and I didn't have to deal with performance anxiety – but it was impossible not to think constantly about those games.”
History repeats itself but this time the circumstances are certainly different. In 2003, Milan qualified for the final after two draws: 0-0 when the Rossoneri were the ‘home’ side, and 1-1 when Inter were the nominal hosts. The away-goals rule is now gone, however, meaning the same scoreline would lead to extra time.
In games like this, a single moment can remain with you for the rest of your life. After the goalless draw in the first leg, Andriy Shevchenko scored the crucial ‘away’ goal for Milan in the return; seven minutes from time, substitute Obafemi Martins struck an equaliser. A couple of minutes after that it was another Inter replacement, Mohamed Kallon, who found himself with only Christian Abbiati – in for the injured Dida – to beat. Score and the Nerazzurri were in the final.
The Milan goalkeeper, however, somehow deflected his shot wide with his knee. “If there is one game I would like to play again, it is that derby in 2003,” said Kallon after his retirement. Abbiati added: “The one from Kallon will remain the most important save I made in a derby in my entire career.”
