There are so many reasons to hate Inter, it’s ridiculous.
But this season, they gave us even more reasons: they hired the former Juventus
coach and convicted
match-fixer, the fake-haired
Antonio Conte. And as if that wasn’t enough, they also hired former Juventus
mastermind Beppe Marmotta Marotta as their sporting director. The only thing
that could make Inter worse is by adding so much Juventus. Which just gives us
so much more to hate.
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| An expensive player and a more expensive coach |
After dropping points in three successive league matches by
drawing 1-1 against Atalanta, Lecce, and Cagliari, Inter finally managed to
beat the mighty 15th place Udinese last weekend 2-0. For that match, the creepy-voiced
Conte lined up Padelli; Skriniar, de Vrij, Bastoni; Moses, Vecino, Barella,
Young; Eriksen; Esposito, and Lukaku. Martinez, Bastoni, and goalkeeper Berni are
all suspended for this match. Handanovic has a fractured pinky, he is working
to be back for the Derby, but missed out on Sunday’s match. Valero is also in
doubt, and Gagliardini is out injured.
With Giampaolo as our coach in September, we
lost the home fixture 0-2 to the soulless Conte and his cronies. But
that doesn’t stop us from wanting to do everything possible to take three
points from this one. Pioli has stabilized the team, and Ibrahimovic has brought
his giant 6’5” (1.96m) mentality to breathe life back into this young, beleaguered
squad. Although Milan stalled a five game winning spree with a 1-1 draw against
Verona last week, there were seven players out sick, injured, or suspended for
that match.
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| Ibrahimovic knows what the Derby is all about |
Pioli will likely see the return of Ibrahimovic, Kjaer, Conti,
Bennacer, and finally Biglia for this match, with Krunic and Duarte still out
injured. Inter have more quality and have not faced the turnover in ownership,
management, coaches, or players that Milan have in the last few years, but that
will not stop this team from fighting to the final whistle for a result. Inter
have shown that they are not as strong as they should be for having a coach
that they are paying €12 million per year for and a team that has spent almost
€180 million in the transfer market, while only selling €70 million. Don’t
forget the €4 million per year they are paying last year’s coach, Spalletti. FFP
much?
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| More to hate |
There is more motivation than ever to win this Derby,
especially after Lazio drew their match midweek and dropped points. Also
because watching that overpaid, insane drill sergeant manage the
team that took down all of Serie A is enough to make you want to vomit.
But mostly, it’s Inter. Those whiny, cheating, scum-sucking, insignificant
grass snakes who give the city of Milano a bad name. They are a blight on
football and on the human race in general, and those are just the players.
Their fans are racist,
sexist, rancid, pathetic excuses for human beings. We let them win this
one, and all of humanity loses. The Derby della Madonnina is a fierce battle,
but this season, there is just even more to hate.
This post inspired by the music of UK
Subs’ “Emotional Blackmail”
Serie A Week 23
il Derby della Madonnina
Inter vs. AC Milan
Sunday, February 9
• 20:45 CET (2:45 EST)
This match can be streamed
LIVE on ESPN+ in the U.S.