THE CALCIO DIARIES PART ONE: THE SOUND, SMOKE, AND SOUL OF MILAN’S RIVARLY

December 13, 2024

“The stadium looks like an impenetrable fortress, and for many, it has been.”

Intrepid football adventurer, storyteller, and connoisseur of culture, Joseph O’Sullivan brings his Calcio Diaries to life through a six-part podcast series and accompanying diary entries, where he delves into the soul of Italian calcio, exploring what makes the beautiful game a national obsession.

This immersive journey takes him from the fiery Milan Derby to the picturesque shores of Lake Como and through the cultural and culinary wonders of Bologna, Parma, Florence, Naples, and much more.

Along the way, he’ll uncover the stories behind legendary stadiums, passionate fanbases, and under-the-radar treasures that even seasoned travellers might miss

This is an epic adventure about embracing the essence of Italy and celebrating not just Serie A but the very heartbeat of a country where football is life and culture is inseparable from the beautiful game.

This is Part One: Derby Della Madonnina

THE CALCIO DIARIES:

IT’S CANDESCENT FACE AND ECCENTRIC-LOOKING PUNTERS

This was my fourth time in Milan and the first time I got to know the city properly. I realised why it is so often compared to Paris and London when it comes to European cities. Excuse my prior ignorance; I never fell in love with the place on fleeting visits.

The tourist city centre is the main reason for that. Like in most cities, the real vibrancy of the town lies elsewhere, away from the hustle and bustle of overpriced restaurants and large squares with lots of humans and even more pigeons.

Anyway, this time, we set up camp around Porta Romana and Porta Venezia (I passed through twice and stayed in both locations), both stylish and local parts of town, close to everything but away from the centre. Bar Basso is a must-visit spot for evening drinks, and Le Brasier for food does some fine steak cuts across the road. This whole area is just a vibe, full of wonderfully dressed beautiful people at ‘aperitivo’ hour.

If you are more central and looking for some carbs, then visit ‘Piz’ for pizza or ‘Pasta D’autore’ for pasta. The latter is next door to a cool bar called Tutti Fritti; its candescent face and eccentric-looking punters spill out onto the beer terrace towards the beautiful old columns of ‘Colonne di San Lorenzo.’

FORGET THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD

On derby day, the city fills with red and black and blue and black shirts. Plenty of locals and even more tourists add to the ambience across town; couples walk hand in hand, split by calcio allegiances.

Fan groups pose with banners in front of Il Duomo, singing songs from noon, nine hours before kick-off.

Many watched the women’s derby, which took place the same afternoon in the stunning ‘Arena Civica Gianni Brera di Milano’ …. It is by no means state of the art, but it’s a beautiful old ground that was inaugurated as far back as 1807. You can walk to this wonderful old arena with ease from the city centre as it is located in Parco Sempione.

In Milan, a good friend and esteemed colleague of mine, Emmett, had me pondering the most profound of questions… “Forget the seven wonders of the world,’ he said, ‘what would the top seven football stadiums on the planet be?” Yikes.

We named about 25 contenders in the space of a few minutes but for me, there is only one absolute banker that sits above the other elite-level football grounds in the world, and that is Giuseppe Meazza, AKA the San Siro, in Milano. There is absolutely no doubt about it. Not for me anyway.

On paper, it has it all. It’s hosted a World Cup, it’s hosted European Cup Finals, it’s been home to two of the most successful clubs on the planet and some of football’s greatest-ever names. The noise there every weekend is rocking, the capacity is one of the largest in Europe (75,000+) and the design is wonderfully distinct… and that’s only on paper.

The true beauty of the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza is something a lot more intangible, and quite simply, until you see it with your own two eyes, you won’t quite grasp what I mean.

THE STADIUM LOOKS LIKE AN IMPENETRABLE FORTRESS

The arena is breathtaking; it’s gargantuan. I have been outside some of the biggest grounds in the world, but the set-up means you might not see the stands until you are right in front of them. Perhaps the pitch is sunk into the ground, so the outside framework isn’t quite as daunting as that of the San Siro. The stadium looks like an impenetrable fortress, and for many, it has been.

The San Siro owns the skyline in the western suburbs of the city. It stands alone, high and mighty as if dropped onto earth from another planet. It makes the biggest stadiums look small in comparison. Its wide towers and large frame cut into the sky and command the air space. It is shockingly huge and yet maintains so much beauty.

I first visited in a rush about three years ago, scared by the rumours that it might not be hosting football for too much longer. I have now been five times since then. It is still standing, still hosting football and never fails to make your jaw drop. Then you get inside.

NOBODY BASHED THEIR HEADS IN

My fifth visit saw Internazionale take on A.C Milan in the Derby della Madonnina this September. Both the Curva Nord of Inter and the Curva Sud of Milan smashed noise towards each other for the duration. The sound met in the middle and bounced around the ground and up into the sky. The choreography and chanting from the ‘away’ Milan end were particularly impressive.

It was an atmosphere I hadn’t felt before, completely heightened by what has to be the best visiting end one could ever see.

At the same time, both sets of fans mixed a lot before and after the game. There was no trouble at all, despite them healthily cussing each other inside the ground. It was fantastic, a couple of Milan fans went mental in the Inter end when they snatched a later winner, and guess what? Nobody bashed their heads in.

Passion cannot be bandied around as an excuse to want to take your anger out on another football fan, and you won’t see passion, noise or colour quite like the Milan derby in any Premier League fixture.

A shock result and an end-to-end game added to the spectacle. The roar when Inter scored was unmatched, but the Milan ultras set the tone otherwise. Noise rumbled across the stands, and bangers rocked the arena like bombs going off. At times, the stadium shook beneath you. It was quite the experience.

Red flares pointed towards the iconic rooftop of the ground, and the beams from the floodlights cut through the smoke, creating a stunning visual backdrop to the action on the pitch. It simply has to be a fixture you experience one day for every single one of the reasons above.