Inter’s 2021-22 away shirt is one of the many Serie A items available in Fanatics’ 30% off sale on Saturday November 27, with free UK shipping too – but why does the Nerazzurri’s change strip have a snake on it?
There are many symbols of Milan – the derby between the two clubs of the city, Milan and Inter, is known as the Derby della Madonnina after the statue of the Virgin Mary on top on the cathedral that also represents the city, the Duomo, and both the statue and the building are world famous icons. Perhaps less famous, but still of great meaning to the city of Milan, is the biscione.
In fact, so closely linked with the city is the biscione – a snake – that Inter have been known as Il Biscione for decades. The shirt baring the reptile is available in Fanatics’ Saturday November 27 sale, with 30% off and free UK shipping using code AWAY, bringing the price of the Inter away shirt down from £70 to less than £50. The discount is usually automatically applied at checkout, but some exceptions may occur.
Don’t worry if you’re not an Inter fan – Milan, Juventus, Roma and Fiorentina shirts and merchandise are in the sale too and the same 30% discount and free UK shipping applies then as well.
The biscione is a serpent, viper or grass snake – or perhaps even a dragon – that is thought to date back to 1277, when the Visconti family took control of the city. Some research suggests that the icon dates back to a bronzed serpent brought to Milan from Constantinople by the Archbishop of Milan, Arnolf II of Arsago, in the 11th century.
Typically depicted either eating or giving birth to a human, often a child, the biscione isn’t just restricted to football. Car manufacturers Alfa Romeo – also based in Milan – include a version of a man-eating snake in their iconic logo, along with a red cross similar to that seen on the crest of the Rossoneri.
Former Milan owner and Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Berlusconi used variations of the biscione as the logo for his companies Mediaset and Fininvest. Ever the politician, Berlusconi replaced the child with a flower.
But in football, it is Inter that carry the biscione on their shirts – except for in the Champions League, where UEFA rules prohibit the design. The 2021-22 campaign is nevertheless the first time the Inter kit has displayed the biscione since the 2010-11 season, when, under Jose Mourinho, Inter claimed a treble of the Scudetto, Coppa Italia and Champions League. Did the snake bring them luck, or was it Mourinho’s tactics and Diego Milito’s goals? Who can say for sure?
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