On This Day – 12th April
A Champions League Quarter Final between AC and Inter Milan was abandoned on this day in 2005 due to crowd trouble.
AC Milan lead 2-0 from the first leg that was played six days earlier. Both legs were played at the San Siro as it is the home ground for both clubs. The first leg was AC Milan’s home tie, with Inter playing as the home side on 12th April.
In the second leg, Andriy Shevchenko scored in the first half to give AC a 3-0 aggregate lead. Inter’s fans were given faint hope of staging a comeback when Esteban Cambiasso headed in from a corner. However, German referee Markus Merk blew for a foul on Dida, AC Milan’s Brazilian goalkeeper and the goal was disallowed.
Merk’s decision enraged the Inter fans and missiles were thrown onto the pitch. Fireworks and flares lit up the pitch and a firework hit Dida on the head. He fell to the ground and he was taken from the field on a stretcher.
Milanese firefighters had to go on the pitch to put out the flares and fireworks so play could resume. Merk ordered the players off the field and they returned ten minutes later to play on. The angry Inter fans continued to throw objects onto the field and Markus Merk was given little option other than to ring the players off the pitch and AC Milan were awarded a 3-0 win.
AC Milan reached the final that year before losing on penalties to Liverpool. This was after throwing away a three-goal lead at half time!
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