Inter Milan kicked off their centenary celebrations with a 2-0 victory over Reggina and followed up with a feast of nostalgia.
Any chance Reggina had of spoiling the party was quashed by a generously awarded home penalty after just 14 minutes at the San Siro, followed by a string of important saves from Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic slid home the spot-kick and center-back Nicolas Burdisso headed home a Luis Jumenez free-kick just past the half hour mark, taking advantage of some slack marking, to seal the points.
PHOTO: AFP
That meant the party could go ahead as planned with huge flags draped over each of the four sides of the stand.
On one side was a giant shirt donning the No. 100, on another the flags of Italy and the city of Milan, on another the word "centenary."
The fans would not be allowed to forget what they had turned up for.
Curiously, though, only 64,000 supporters were there in a stadium that can hold 20,000 more than that and did four days earlier for a Champions League match between AC Milan and Arsenal.
Those empty seats will likely also be filled for tomorrow's crucial Champions League tie between Inter and Liverpool with the Italians trailing 2-0 from the first leg of their last 16 clash.
Those who were present created a fabulous atmosphere.
At one point a series of taped messages from personalities within the soccer world were played on big screens around the stadium.
Big cheers greeted the likes of former players Roberto Baggio, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Alvaro Recoba and Walter Zenga, and even current young star Mario Balotelli.
Comically though, other messages were not so well received.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter was roundly jeered but that was nothing compared to the reaction that former Juventus star, and now UEFA president, Michel Platini was given.
There was music from locally born Italian great Adriano Celentano, speeches and videos of archive footage showing great victories of Inter Milan's past.
BUMRAH WATCH: Captain Jasprit Bumrah left the SCG for scans for back spasms and although he returned to the ground, there was no word on if he would play Rishabh Pant’s blistering counterattack yesterday capped a chaotic second day of the fifth and final Test between Australia and India, with 15 wickets falling and the star bowler of the series leaving the Sydney Cricket Ground with an ambulance escort. Yet the Border-Gavaskar trophy still remains very much in the balance as India reached 141-6, holding a 145-run lead over Australia with three days remaining. “Low-scoring games like this, it just heightens the pressure within it, so long way still to go,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said. “There’s gonna be plenty of cricket, so we’ll see what happens.” Australia were bowled out for
Elena Rybakina’s Kazakhstan yesterday dumped defending champions Germany out of the United Cup with world No. 2 Alexander Zverev sidelined by an arm injury barely a week away from the Australian Open. The upset in Perth sent the Kazakhs into the semi-finals of the 18-nation tournament. In Sydney, women’s world No. 2 Iga Swiatek led Poland into the last eight by winning a rematch of her 2023 French Open final against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic. Britain also progressed to the quarter-finals with Katie Boulter’s dominant 6-2, 6-1 victory over Australia’s Olivia Gadecki enough to guarantee they won their group. The US and
HAT-TRICK PREP: World No. 1 Sabalenka clinched her first win of the season, as she aims to become the first woman in 20 years to win three Australian Opens in succession Coco Gauff, Jasmine Paolini and Taylor Fritz yesterday all clocked impressive wins as tennis powerhouses Italy and the US surged into the quarter-finals of the mixed-team United Cup. World No. 3 Gauff swept past Croatia’s Donna Vekic 6-4, 6-2 to avenge a loss at the Paris Olympics, while Fritz took care of Borna Coric 6-3, 6-2 in searing Perth heat. That was enough to put the Americans — last year’s winners — into a last-eight clash with China today, while Elena Rybakina’s Kazakhstan today are to meet defending champions Germany, led by Alexander Zverev, in the other Perth quarter-final. In Sydney, the in-form
Five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek yesterday beat Elena Rybakina in straight sets to take Poland into the final of the mixed-teams United Cup with victory over Kazakhstan. Last year’s runners-up face the US today for the title in Sydney after they beat the Czech Republic in the other semi-final. “This win makes me really proud,” Swiatek said after seeing off Rybakina 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to give Poland an unassailable 2-0 lead in the tie. It was a statement of intent from the world number two with the first major of the year to start on Jan. 12. “It is perfect preparation for the
RSS