Nicola Berti, former Inter player and a prominent figure in many Milan derbies, commented on the current state of Milan football, praising Rafael Leão's attitude while emphasizing the superiority of his former team ahead of the upcoming clash between the Nerazzurri and Milan, scheduled for this weekend. In anticipation of the derby, Berti reacted to Leão's 'call to arms' – who stated that the Milan derby was 'a matter of life or death' for the Rossoneri – considering it a correct attitude. 'He did well, bravo Leão! In a game like this, it's fair to motivate your own army, especially when you are clearly inferior to the opponent,' he stated, pointing to the points difference in the standings. 'These ten points of difference are not by chance: in the city, there is a cousin who is clearly better than the other, we know it and they know it too,' he added. Known for his provocative personality, Berti did not hesitate to say he would use words similar to Leão's. 'Everyone knows I have a sharp tongue. Once, after an Italian Cup derby, I said 'better to be defeated than to be Milanese' and I would repeat that a hundred more times,' he declared, adding that he has always enjoyed being 'the most hated by Milan fans.' The former midfielder recalled the intensity of the derbies in his time, highlighting that the rivalry was taken very seriously. 'With the Italians, it was different because we also played together in the national team and met in the city. But the three Dutchmen [Van Basten, Gullit, and Rijkaard], believe me, were particularly annoying. Today, perhaps they feel the derby less, but we wouldn't even look at each other,' he confessed. Berti recalled a specific incident from the 1992/93 season in a match against Milan. 'After nutmegging Costacurta, I also argued with Baresi, who threw a ball at me. I got a yellow card, but I felt I was going to score somehow. I told them: 'You’ll see that I’ll score a goal now!' I felt like Michael Jordan, sticking out my tongue and, in the end… bam!' he recounted, remembering that Gullit later equalized. 'But I also remember the volley shot and Rossi's header with the ball going in: that goal is mine, I insist,' he emphasized. Nicola Berti, a figure associated with Inter, looks forward to the derby against Milan and is confident about winning the Italian title, the scudetto, believing that a victory in the next game will seal the championship. 'Well, I would say yes, with a 13-point lead they won't catch us even on a motorcycle,' he declared confidently. The date of the game adds special symbolism: 'Winning this derby is also important because of the day it happens. At midnight on Sunday, it will be March 9, Inter will celebrate its 118th anniversary: this is a wonderful sign of destiny. Can there be a more beautiful gift than winning against them?' Regarding the outcome of the season, Berti has no doubts and envisions absolute dominance over rival Milan, as well as the acquisition of another trophy. 'We won the scudetto against Milan with a two hundred point difference, so much so that if you turn around you can't even see them behind you. And we also added the Coppa Italia, although now it won't be easy to beat Como. Then, with full bellies, we will talk about Europe again, because that also interests us.'
Milan Nicola Berti remains central to this story.
Milan Nicola Berti remains central to this story.
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