After responding to Chivu's remarks about direct clashes, the atmosphere between Milan and Internazionale has heated up. The rivalry has already emerged ahead of the derby.

The first Milan derby on October 31 is still far away, but after the last two days, Milan looks much closer.

The rivalry between the two teams is undeniable and intense, as Internazionale just won last season's Serie A title, bringing their total to 21, while Milan remains at 19, trailing by two. More importantly, in domestic competitions, the Rossoneri have only celebrated league titles twice in the past 20 years—as Alessandro Amorim mentioned in yesterday's press conference—while their city rivals have won eight Serie A titles, plus other domestic cups.

Since new coach Amorim's unveiling on August 7, Cardinale and the Portuguese coach have set the goal of winning the second star in the 2026-27 season, further intensifying the derby's tension. Over the past two months, the Rossoneri owner and coach's thoughts have not changed; they both want to win, and Internazionale will certainly not let their title be easily taken away.

Internazionale's desire to compete is not only reflected on the field—they have won three consecutive matches, defeating Monza, Cagliari, and Napoli—but also in their statements. First Chivu, then chairman Marotta. These words show that the contest with Milan has begun, and the fire has never died down. The October 31 derby will not be an ordinary match. Internazionale has not won a derby in a long time, and although they have won league and cup titles, they have not had much joy in Milan derbies since the second half of 2024.

Therefore, they are eager for revenge and proud to be the most successful team in Milan—both in terms of total Serie A titles and recent results, as for the number of Champions League titles, those from Via Aldo Rossi would argue otherwise.

Controversial words

Currently, this derby has been ignited by Chivu's words at Friday's press conference: "'What does 'direct clash' mean? Does it refer to playing against teams in the top four of the standings, or matches between traditional teams? Because Milan and Juventus were both very low last year, so what kind of direct clash is that? I just want to understand. Are Juve and Milan direct rivals? Then we are talking about playing against clubs with tradition, otherwise Como is also a direct rival."

These words did not please Milanello and its surroundings, but Amorim focused on the match at the Allianz Arena, being careful not to further inflame the situation: "We don't need Chivu's words or anyone else's to motivate us. We just need to focus on our work." However, Chivu clarified yesterday after the 3-2 victory over Napoli: "I did not disrespect Milan, nor did I disrespect Juventus. I have great respect for both clubs. Not everything I say is fully reported: I said that all matches are direct clashes."

At least until next time, this matter has been clarified, because the season is still long, and there will be other tense moments.

Marotta's words before Inter-Napoli also displeased Milan fans: "In the title race," he stated, "there are not only Napoli and Internazionale, but also a hierarchy of teams, including Roma, Juventus, and other teams, such as Como. The final result is very difficult to predict. We have a consensus: winning is hard, defending the title is even harder."

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