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AC Milan’s Biggest Rivals 

Over the years, AC Milan has been one of the powerhouses of Italian football. Their San Siro is the largest stadium Italy, where the Rossoneri generated matchday buzz that would surely envy their rivals, alongside their wide trophy cabinet. 

Here are some who they think is their fiercest foes, not just in Italy, but also in Europe and around the World. 

Derby Della Madonnina  

It is the biggest match in Italy, and it’s not even close. Both clubs share the San Siro, with their respective ultras taking different curvas behind the goals that makes the derby unique in more ways than one. 

Named after the city’s statue of the Virgin Mary in their fabled Duomo, the derby has its socio-economic divide, with Inter being the more well-to-do rather than the grit and grind nature of Milan. 

Its roots traced back to 1908, where the dispute in accepting foreigners in the Milan Cricket and Football Club (the original name of AC Milan) caused the secession of some of its members and formed Football Club Internazionale on its place. They met for the first time in 1909, with the Rossoneri edging the Nerazzuri 3-2. 

Since then, their derbies have become more intense, especially with bragging rights and trophies at stake every season, in which it produced not just classic matches, but also priceless moments. 

The overall playing record showed Inter had won seven more times than Milan (85-78) in 232 official matches. Yet in terms of the silverware, it was the Rossoneri who had seven more (49-42) than the Nerazzuri, owing to their international haul, especially with their seven European Cups compared to Inter’s three. 

The other “Derby d’Italia”  with Juventus 

The name Derby d’Italia is originally referred to the rivalry of Turin’s Juventus and Inter Milan. However, matches between the Bianconeri and the Rossoneri are also having the same importance, with the two cities being the most prestigious in the northern part of the country. 

Like the Inter rivalry, Juve is head and shoulders ahead of Milan in their head-to-head record (with 92 wins and 77 draws in 237 matches. It naturally extends to their trophy cabinet with the Old Lady having the most Scudetti and the Coppa Italia  

However, Milan is the boss when it comes to Europe, not only they’ve won more Champions League titles  than Juve, they actually beat them once in the final (in 2003, on penalties) 

Real Madrid rivalry 

In spite the fact that it was Real’s nemesis Barcelona being Milan’s most frequented rival, their rivalry is all about being the best in Europe. Overall, Los Blancos have double the amount of European Cups that Il Diavolo have. 

In a total of fifteen matches, both clubs were dead even with six wins each, and despite not meeting in the competition since the 2010-11 season, their rivalry was one of the most cherished for the Rossoneri when it mattered. 

Milan fans have loved their title wins in 1989, 1990 and 2003, in which they played the Los Blancos twice each. Who could forget their 5-0 rout in the 1989 semifinal second-leg en route to their final route of Steaua to win it all? Or that second group stage win in 2002/03 where Shevchenko’s lone strike set the San Siro loud. 

Liverpool 

Manchester United might have been Milan’s most played English opponent, but their battles with Liverpool is what makes it iconic even they only played just four times. 

It was in the final where the rivalry took shape. The Milanese would want to forget the 2005 meltdown, blowing their 3-0 halftime lead before losing on penalties in Istanbul. 

Two years later in Athens, they got their revenge, taking down the Reds on a brace by Inzaghi for their most recent European triumph.