By last Saturday, 65,000 tickets had already been sold for the Derby della Madonnina -- a measure of the heightened sense of anticipation around one of the biggest games in football. Without a trophy since 2011 and simultaneously out of Europe for the first time in 60 years, both Milan clubs decided enough was enough. They have shown renewed ambition this summer.
Inter tried to get Yaya Toure; Milan flew for talks with Carlo Ancelotti and believed they could persuade PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to make a comeback too. They were also in advanced negotiations to bring Jackson Martinez and Axel Witsel to San Siro and, although those deals were never done, they were welcome statements of intent.