Even though it will be a very tense night on the field for AC Milan and Inter in the derby, it is a virtual certainty that nothing will escalate off the pitch.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport recall, the bosses from Milan and Inter’s Ultras groups shook hands 40 years ago after the death of a 21-year-old Nerazzurri fan outside San Siro. The agreement became famous as the ‘pact of non-belligerence’ between the Milanese clubs.
It is a ‘treaty of friendship’ that has lasted since 1981, the year of the first of three ‘Mundialito Clubs’ tournaments was played in San Siro. In the first edition, besides Milan and Inter, there was Peñarol, Feyenoord and Santos, but the derby went down in history because of the death of Vittore Palmieri.
After his death, which occurred about three months after the match, the two Curvas made a pact: ‘No more clashes between us, otherwise we’ll die. Again’. Words to that effect. It is an agreement that will be respected even if the Nerazzurri win the Scudetto in tonight’s derby, at a packed San Siro.
Marco Ferdico, the head of the Inter Ultras, told Corriere: “There is a pact of non-belligerence that has been going on for 40 years. It’s a guarantee for everyone, otherwise Milano would be a battlefield.”
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Milan should be an example for the world with these. Great effort from both fanbases
True. It is impressive how peaceful San Siro is. Milano is a VERY civilized city and the two groups of supporters tease each other (often in disrespectful ways with nasty chants) but without any violence whatsoever. The idea is that words don’t hurt as much as sticks and stones; you can yell at your opponents but DON’T lay hands on them!
Also impressive is the fact that the rarest thing in San Siro is to see someone excessively drunk and obnoxious like we see in so many other stadia around the world. Also I haven’t seen any manifestation of racism there.
Kudos to the Milanese: they provide a positive example and role model that should be followed elsewhere. Compare with the hooliganism and racism we see in some other cities and leagues: the Milanese should be proud of their city and of their advanced degree of civilization.
The friendship between these two teams still surprises me everyday. We can argue but we never fight. It’s rare between rivals ❤️🖤💙