MILAN – "I’m going the way I want to – at home, with my people," declared Diego Alberto Milito when he bade farewell to the Guardia Imperial stand at Racing Avellanada, one of the many clubs to have fallen in love with the lethal striker over the course of a goal-laden career.
Il Principe – as he was known at Inter – finally hung up his boots this week after a testimonial match featuring several former Nerazzurri players, not least vice president Javier Zanetti and Inter Forever chief Francesco Toldo. It heralded the end of an era for a unique, peerless, special player.
Yet Milito’s strengths were not just technical. He was also a striker of professionalism and discipline, and it was perhaps this side of the Argentine that has ensured his legend lives on in the stands of the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
Indeed, the bond between Milito and the Inter fans has not diminished in the years since his departure from the club. On the contrary, it has endured and become stronger – a quick glance at the many Milito No.22 shirts in San Siro on any given Sunday is confirmation enough of that. It is no wonder that the Nerazzurri fans have sent countless heartfelt messages to Milito in recent days.
One of Milito’s greatest legacies at Inter is his exploits in derby games against AC Milan, and with the latest instalment in this age-old rivalry fast approaching, the time is ripe for us to relive Il Principe’s derby heroics.
The Argentine’s personal crusade against the Rossoneri began six years ago, on 29 August 2009. Jose Mourinho’s Inter were leading 1-0 in a bad-tempered derby when Samuel Eto’o was downed in the box by Gennaro Gattuso. Up stepped Milito, who let Marco Storari start to dive before rifling the penalty into the roof of the net. Milito roared in celebration – San Siro bellowed back.
Milito finished the game with one goal and two assists, as Inter plundered a 4-0 win. It was from that moment onwards that the Nerazzurri’s mentality changed. They were a mature, determined, irresistible team, qualities embodied by Il Principe himself.
Milito had a special way of reading the game of football. With his mind seemingly one step ahead of everyone else, he could focus on doing the simple things well – the assist for Thiago Motta on that August night at San Siro springs to mind.
His perfect timing ensured his Inter career was littered with unforgettable images – Milito celebrating against a backdrop of sullen defenders, often dressed in the red and black of the Nerazzurri’s eternal rivals, their eyes boring holes into the grass.
Milito was a goal machine – that much is clear. But when it came to the derby, he invariably stepped it up a gear. On 24 January 2010, it was his left-footed strike which set Inter on their way to a 2-0 win over AC Milan, breathing renewed life into what would become an unforgettable season for Mourinho’s side.
Il Principe scored 30 times in that treble-winning campaign, his simple – yet instantly recognisable – celebration becoming something of an emblem for Inter’s success. Milito was the man for the big occasions, scoring in the Coppa Italia final against Roma, the league decider at Siena and the Champions League final against Bayern Munich.
Yet Milito’s story didn’t end on that heady night in Madrid. There would be another opportunity for him to write his name into the Milan derby history books yet.
That moment came on 6 May 2012, during Andrea Stramaccioni’s stint as Nerazzurri boss. In the 14th minute of the first half, Wesley Sneijder whipped in a free-kick, Walter Samuel knocking it back across goal for Milito to slot home on the volley for 1-0. The crowd went wild, but there was more to do.
A double from Zlatan Ibrahimovic turned the game on its head, but Milito stepped up to the plate once again. His penalty on 52 minutes drew Inter level, before another spot kick in the 78th minute gave him the chance to fire the Nerazzurri ahead. He did not falter – and Inter went on to win the derby 4-2.
In 2014, Milito returned to Racing in his homeland, but his derby heroics were not done as he scored against rivals Independiente as part of Racing’s title-winning 2014/15 campaign. It was a fantastic achievement for the club, who had been stuck in a rut before Milito returned, bringing his professionalism, discipline and goals back to the fold.
So as we approach another derby, it is worth remembering this. Milito’s playing career may have run its course, but the memories of his derby goals at San Siro – and the spine-tingling chants of the adoring crowd – will live on in Nerazzurri folklore forever.
Bruno Bottaro
