The Derby della Madonnina, as everyone knows, is not just any match, far from it. It’s not only deeply felt by the public and fans at home. It’s a primordial, primitive fever that often completely absorbs even the players themselves. And the episodes that arise from it are not just sporting feats. In fact, sometimes matches like the Derby manage to create truly legendary… and also outrageously funny “feats.” Like in the case of the “Lemon” Derby.

Benito Lorenzi wasn’t called Veleno (“Poison”) for nothing. The phenomenal Inter striker of the 1940s and 1950s was an angel off the pitch, as attested by his many acts of charity, but he was a devil when he wore the black and blue jersey. His career is full of heated episodes, many goals… and even a few fistfights. But he reached his peak in the match he loved the most: the Derby of October 6, 1957. In that match, Inter took the lead in the opening minutes thanks to a penalty kick, won by Veleno himself. But just a few minutes from the end, the referee awarded one to Milan as well. In the general chaos of protests, insults, and shoving, Lorenzi, strangely for his nature, moved away from the fray asking the masseur for something to drink. In response, he handed him half a lemon.

And this is where Veleno had his brilliant idea. Without anyone noticing—except for the Milan fans above the goal—he quietly approached the penalty spot, where the ball was already placed, and, covered by the chaos of the protests, put the lemon right under the ball. The Milan fans shouted at the top of their lungs, but no one paid attention. Tito Cucchiaroni, Milan’s penalty taker, stepped up to the spot. “The Lemon! Tito, the Lemon!” the Rossoneri fans shouted at him. The poor player didn’t understand, shrugged, and took the shot. The ball, of course, bounced off the lemon and soared into the stands.

Lorenzi’s final stroke of genius: he ran, pretending to celebrate, to hug the Inter goalkeeper Ghezzi and at the same time kicked the incriminating peel off the field. When the match ended, the Rossoneri discovered the trick and he risked being lynched, but that’s another story. Lorenzi was like that: a “evil genius” in the service of good, in the service of Inter. Men and matches from another era, impossible to recreate in modern football. Surely, for its rivalry, circumstances, and final outcome, the Lemon Derby will always remain one of the craziest and most beautiful in history. Not everyone can win a city derby that way!