Milan and Inter: two clubs on either side of one of world football's fiercest rivalries – but a divide which has been crossed more times than you might expect through the years.
From all-time Italian greats to club-trotting modern-day favourites, these players all featured for both the Rossoneri (Milan) and the Nerazzurri (Inter).
Let's get straight down to it, shall we?
Argentine centre-back Matias Silvestre started out with Boca Juniors but spent the bulk of his career in Italy, representing a string of Serie A clubs.
He joined Inter from Palermo in 2012, featuring 20 times for the Nerazzurri before being loaned out to Milan – who opted against making the switch permanent.
Capped 34 times by Italy, towering centre-half Francesco Acerbi spent most of his early career in the lower divisions, eventually arriving at Milan in 2012.
He featured just 10 times for the Rossoneri, however, racking up more than 150 appearances for both Sassuolo and Lazio over the next decade – then returning to the San Siro as an Inter player.
Born in nearby Legnano, Matteo Darmian joined Milan as a youngster and rose through their youth ranks to make his first-team debut aged 16.
The defender never established himself with the Rossoneri, though, turning out for a string of other Italian clubs – and Manchester United – then joining Inter in 2020, helping the Nerazzurri to the Serie A title in his first season.
One of Denmark’s best players of all time, Thomas Helveg won all of the biggest honours at Milan, departing in 2003 a European champion.
The right-back – who earned 108 caps for his country – subsequently crossed the city divide to Inter, where he spent a single season before moving on to Norwich City.
A five-time Italy international, midfielder Andrea Poli joined Inter on a season-long loan from Sampdoria in 2011.
The Nerazzurri decided not to sign him on a permanent basis, however, and he ultimately made the switch to Milan in 2013 – going on to feature 109 times across four seasons and lifting the 2016 Supercoppa Italiana.
Among Italy’s finest defenders, Leonardo Bonucci turned out for Inter and Milan either side of his trophy-laden eight-year spell with Juventus.
The Euro 2020 winner was just emerging in senior football when the Nerazzurri claimed the 2005/06 Scudetto, while he captained the Rossoneri during his one and only season there – returning to Juve in 2018.
Following spells with Udinese and Portsmouth, Ghanaian midfield great Sulley Muntari joined Inter in 2008 – much to the reluctance of Pompey boss Harry Redknapp, who described him as “a t’riffic young talent” (of course he did).
Muntari made almost 100 appearances for the Nerazzurri, doing the 2009/10 treble before being loaned out to Sunderland – and then to Milan, who he signed for permanently as a free agent in 2012.
A star of Croatia’s run to the semi-finals of the 1998 World Cup, Dario Simic left Dinamo Zagreb for Inter midway through the 1998/99 season.
The versatile defender spent three-and-a-half years with the Nerazzurri, making the move to Carlo Ancelotti’s Milan in 2002 and helping them to Champions League glory in his first campaign.
Cult favourite Nigeria centre-back Taribo West had a globetrotting career which took him from France to Iran via Partizan Belgrade and, er, Plymouth.
He had time to fit in spells at both Inter and Milan, though, lifting the 1997/98 UEFA Cup with the former, then joining the latter during the 2000 winter transfer window.
Striker Giampaolo Pazzini posted double-figure goal returns for Inter and Milan in 2010/11 and 2012/13 respectively.
Capped 25 times by Italy, Pazzini – who also played in Serie A for Atalanta, Fiorentina, Sampdoria and Verona – averaged roughly a goal every three games for both clubs and lifted the 2010/11 Coppa Itala with the Nerazzurri.
Dutch midfield maestro Edgar Davids became one of the earliest beneficiaries of the Bosman ruling when he completed a free transfer to Milan in the summer 1996, having made a name for himself at Ajax.
Davids found it tough going with the Rossoneri, however, departing for Juventus 18 months later and spending six years with the Turin giants – then joining Inter in 2004 after a loan spell at Barcelona, winning the Coppa Italia in his sole season with the Nerazzurri.
A reliable right-back who won 57 caps for Italy, Christian Panucci spent the best years of his career with Roma.
But he had previously turned out for Milan and Inter – most notably for the former, where he won two Serie A titles and the 1993/94 Champions League under Fabio Capello.
Given his propensity for falling out with teammates and coaches, it’s not really surprising that Antonio Cassano played for eight clubs at an average of close to one every two years.
The gifted forward had short stints with both Milan and Inter, winning the 2010/11 Serie A title with the Rossoneri.
One of two non-Italian members of Milan’s 1962/63 European Cup-winning team (the other being Brazilian Dino Sani), Peruvian defensive midfielder Victor Benitez had two spells with the Rossoneri.
Capped 11 times by his country, Benitez later played briefly for Inter, also turning out in Italy for Messina, Roma (across two spells) and Venezia.
Having started out with lower-league outfit Lumezzane, Mario Balotteli joined Inter as a teenager and went on to score 28 goals in 86 first-team outings – doing the treble in 2009/10 under Jose Mourinho.
The controversy-courting striker left for Manchester City in 2010 but was back in Italy two-and-a-half years later, banging in 30 goals in 54 games for Milan and making the 2012/13 Serie A Team of the Year.
Right up there with Italy’s greatest centre-forwards of all time, Christian Vieri hit peak form during his time at Inter, racking up 123 goals in 190 appearances and winning the 2004/05 Coppa Italia.
‘Bobo’ fared rather less well at his next club, Milan, netting twice in 14 outings and collecting the Bidone d’Oro (Golden Bin) award as the worst Serie A player of 2005…
Capped 24 times by Italy, featuring at the 1986 and 1990 World Cups, Aldo Serena had two spells with both Inter and Milan.
The forward made the bulk of his career appearances for the Nerazzurri but finished his career with the Rossoneri – having previously been loaned to them by Inter.
Evidently not afraid to venture behind enemy lines, Serena also played for Turin rivals Juventus and Torino.
Starting out at Milan, adaptable full-back Sergio Battistini made more than 100 appearances for the Rossoneri – winning two Serie B titles during a tumultuous period in the club’s history – before leaving for Fiorentina in 1985.
He joined Inter in 1990, also passing a century of games there and helping them to two UEFA Cup triumphs.
Turkish midfield superstar Hakan Calhanoglu left Milan to join Inter on a free transfer in the summer of 2021.
One of Serie A’s great dead-ball specialists, Calhanoglu won two Coppa Italia crowns and a Scudetto in his first three seasons as a Nerazzurri player – as well as reaching the 2023 Champions League final.
Before he etched his name into Arsenal history as one of the Gunners’ most legendary players, Patrick Vieira made five appearances for Milan – who he joined from French outfit Cannes in 1995.
After a one-season stint at Juventus following his 2005 departure from Highbury, the World Cup-, Euros- and Premier League-winning midfield maestro moved on to Inter – where he won the Scudetto in four out of four campaigns.
Among Serie A’s most formidable strikers of the late 90s and early 00s, Hernan Crespo scored freely for Parma and Lazio before being snapped up by Inter in 2002.
After netting 16 times in 30 outings for the Nerazzurri, the Argentine icon left for Chelsea – only to return to the San Siro, this time with Milan, on loan in 2004; he subsequently re-joined Inter in 2006 and went on to win three straight Serie A titles.
In the space of barely a decade, the ‘original’ Ronaldo completed the exceedingly rare feat of playing for not just both Milan rivals but the two El Clasico clubs too.
Unable to agree a new contract after one prolific season at Barcelona, R9 made the switch to Inter in 1997; he won the UEFA Cup and carried on banging in the goals until Real Madrid came calling in 2002, then had a brief spell with Milan – his final club in Europe, as it transpired.
Among the first ever Italian internationals, Aldo Cevenini began his career with now-defunct Milan club Libertas, joining the Milan in 1909.
The oldest of five brothers who all played professionally, the forward had two spells with the Rossoneri and three with Inter – who he helped to glory in the 1919/20 Prima Categoria (the predecessor to Serie A) – switching directly between the two in 1912, 1915 and 1919.
The middle Cevenini brother, Luigi also started out at Libertas before alternating between Milan and Inter.
Also a forward, the 29-time Italy international – who helped his nation to victory in the European International Cup of Nations (a forerunner to the Euros) – emulated his big bro by having two spells with the Rossoneri and three with the Nerazzurri – winning the 1919/20 Prima Categoria title alongside Aldo.
Italy’s greatest player of the 90s and one of their biggest stars of all time, the inimitable Roberto Baggio won his second career Scudetto with Milan in 1995/96 (having done the same at Juventus the previous season).
After a single campaign with Bologna, ‘The Divine Ponytail’ joined Inter in 1998, spending two years as a Nerazzurri player.
Nicknamed ‘Kamikaze’ for his no-holds-barred approach to goalkeeping, Giorgio Ghezzi racked up almost 200 appearances for Inter and well over 100 for Milan.
A two-time Serie A champion with the Nerazzurri, Ghezzi – who represented Italy at the 1954 World Cup – added another Scudetto at Milan – where he finished his career and tasted 1962/63 European Cup glory.
The compulsively watchable midfield maestro who won almost everything the game has to offer, Andrea Pirlo turned out for all three of Italy’s biggest clubs.
He joined Inter from Brescia in 1998 but really established himself after joining Milan in 2001 – amassing 401 appearances for the Rossoneri and starring in two Champions League triumphs, both under Carlo Ancelotti, before moving on to Juventus after 13 years at the San Siro combined.
Among Italy’s best ever defenders and a key player in the Azzurri’s 1982 World Cup victory, Fulvio Collovati made more than 100 appearances for both Milan and Inter.
The formidable centre-back started out with the Rossoneri – where he won the Serie A and Serie B title, as well as the Coppa Italia – then crossed the city divide to the Nerazzurri in 1982.
Another all-time great midfielder, Clarence Seedorf is the only player to win the Champions League / European Cup with three clubs.
As well as Ajax and Real Madrid, the Dutch legend did just that at Milan – in 2002/03 and 2006/07 – featuring 432 times during a glittering 10-year spell following a 2002 switch from Inter, where he scored 14 goals over two-and-a-half seasons.
Undoubtedly one of the greatest strikers in the history of the game, Zlatan Ibrahimovic got his hands on no fewer than 34 trophies.
Another one who turned out for Juventus, Inter and Milan, the charismatic Swede bagged 66 goals in 117 games for the Nerazzurri – winning the Scudetto in all three seasons with them – then had two spells with the Rossoneri later in his career, collecting another two Serie A winner’s medals.
A distant relative of that Buffon, Lorenzo Buffon was right up there with the finest goalkeepers of his generation.
The 15-cap Italy international made the majority of his career appearances for Milan, helping them to four Serie A titles during the 50s – but he also had time to play the best part of 100 matches for Inter, winning the Scudetto there in 1962/63.
We’ve been calling it the San Siro – as most English speakers do – but Milan and Inter’s home ground is officially called the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza – and it’s named after this man, arguably the greatest Italian footballer of all time.
A back-to-back World Cup winner with the Azzurri in 1934 and 1938, the latter as captain, Meazza was a supreme forward who banged in 284 goals in 408 outings for Inter across two spells which bookended his career – firing the Nerazzurri to three Serie A titles during the first – and struck 11 times in 42 games for Milan.
