A version of this article was first published in May 2023.
There was Rui Costa and there was Marco Materazzi. Beauty and the brawn. The elegant Portuguese shouldering the weight of his grizzled opponent's elbow. Tranquillity amid the chaos as a pair of footballing rivals paused to ponder a hazy wall of red smoke and simmering flares.
"Everyone was focused on the flares, on the smoke," photographer Stefano Rellandini, who captured that iconic image 21 years ago, tells BBC Sport. "But near the centre of the pitch I saw a certain moment." Materazzi was nicknamed something like a butcher, while Rui Costa was more gentle and artistic. For several seconds Materazzi rested his elbow on Rui Costa's shoulder. "So when I saw that, I shot it. I have just one frame in that sequence."
The picture also captured the end of AC Milan and Inter Milan's 2005 Champions League quarter-final. With 73 minutes played of the second leg, the referee abandoned the match after flares and other objects rained down from a section of Inter fans, one striking and injuring Milan goalkeeper Dida. The tie was later awarded to Milan, who led 3-0 on aggregate. Rellandini, working for Reuters at the time, said the atmosphere was intense: "It just blew up when they disallowed the goal from Esteban Cambiasso. That completely changed the situation."
The tension had been brewing for years. Milan had knocked Inter out in 2003 on away goals, and went on to win the Champions League that season. Owner Silvio Berlusconi had built a strong Milan side under Carlo Ancelotti, while Inter, chaired by Massimo Moratti, had spent heavily to compete, including two record transfers. Despite that investment, Inter's results had not matched their ambitions.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing