Given the history between the two sides, it is not surprising that AC Milan and Inter's relationship has experienced its fair share of tension.
It is then quite interesting that the two teams actually share a stadium. Whether it's called the Stadio San Siro or the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza depends on what team one supports, with Milan fans opting for the former while Inter supporters choose the latter. But in Italy, this is actually the norm, with capital-based clubs and bitter rivals Roma and Lazio both calling the Stadio Olimpico home.
By contrast, in England, the thought of clubs who feature in derby matches having to share the same space is simply mind-boggling, with cross-town rivals like Manchester City and Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham, or Liverpool and Everton each enjoying their own iconic grounds, making trips for the opposing team even more daunting.
Italy's stadium situation is something that has arguably long held many teams back, as the majority of clubs do not actually own their own stadiums, but rather are tenants and pay rent to the local city council. This means that clubs miss out on a key financial stream as they do not have full control over matchday revenues and other incentives that come with owning one's own stadium.
Milan and Inter have sought to move in a new direction, emulating fellow powerhouse Juventus as well as smaller sides like Atalanta, Udinese, and Sassuolo in a quest to finally own their own stadium. Yet, this quest has not been without its fair share of hiccups.
According to reports from Italy, namely Calciomercato via La Gazzetta dello Sport, tension has flared up behind the scenes between the Rossoneri and the Nerazzurri. The report indicates that Inter's president, Steven Zhang, requested a meeting with his counterparts at Milan to indicate that he is on board with proceeding with the new joint-stadium.
As of now, the 31-year-old has failed to receive a response to his request, leading some to wonder if Milan's ignoring Zhang is a sign that the Rossoneri would rather proceed with the project as a sole entity as opposed to sharing it with their cross-town rivals.
Both Milan and Inter have a very busy schedule ahead, with each side involved in Champions League action over the next two weeks at home. First up will see the Rossoneri face a tough test against Tottenham on Tuesday while the Nerazzurri will take on Porto the following week, on February 22nd.