Champions League: how the hit “Sarà perché ti amo” became AC Milan’s anthem

2023-05-16 22:11:44

Will AC Milan be able to turn the tide this Tuesday evening (9 p.m.) against Inter Milan, in the semi-final return of the Champions League (0-2 in the first leg)? If the Rossoneri fail to do so, they can always take refuge behind an argument full of bad faith but which will perhaps work with their fans : a match at San Siro without “Sarà perché ti amo” is not a match at San Siro.

For several years now, the mythical song by the group Ricchi e Poveri has entered the spans of the Giuseppe-Meazza stadium, shared by AC Milan and Inter. Before each home match of the Rouge et Noir, this planetary tube resounds in the stadium. But this Tuesday evening, it is the neighbor, the sworn enemy of Inter, who receives, and the Nerazzuri do not intend to make this gift to the opposing supporters, who will be confined to the visitor parking lot.

The first time that “Sarà perché ti amo” was played, it was precisely on the occasion of a derby between the eternal rivals Milan, won by the men in black and blue. The latter had already covered the famous hit in the past, modifying the lyrics to transform it into an ode to the Brazilian striker Adriano (“We are happy, it must be because we support you. He throws grenades, we are all standing. This Brazilian that we are applauding on the pitch is Adriano”). But this recovery remained limited to the Curva Nord, the tribune of Inter supporters.

shared emotion

The supporters Rossoneri have managed the feat of spreading their emotion throughout the stadium. For three years, before the announcer gave the composition of the teams, the speakers of San Siro spit out the first notes of “Sarà perché ti amo” before the some 75,000 spectators, with their throats deployed, take care of the rest.

The regulars of the Curva Sud have slightly modified the lyrics of the mythical hit. Thus, “Sarà perché ti amo” (“It must be because I love you”) becomes “Sarà perché tifiamo” (“It must be because we support you”), while “Se ci sto bene, sarà perché ti amo” (“If it suits me”) mischievously turns into “E chi non salta, è un gobbo juventino” (“He who does not jump is a hunchback from Turin”). A pejorative nickname, given to supporters of Juventus in Turin, which reflects the historic rivalry between the two great clubs in northern Italy.

An enduring success

The cover of the piece of Ricchi e Poveri, although originally from Genoa, and of which no member has proclaimed his love for the Lombard club, reflects a real popular enthusiasm, in the spans of the San Siro stadium and even beyond. The “Sarà perché ti amo” trend is one of the most popular on the TikTok social network in Italy. The performers of the hit returned to the stage for the last time in 2020, on the occasion of the San Remo festival, and released their latest album “ReuniON” in 2021.

The Milanese are not the first supporters to appropriate a song, since the transalpine clubs are particularly fond of these covers of variety songs. Among others, “L’estate sta finendo”, from the Righeira group, was picked up by Neapolitan fans. The song “Roma, Roma”, written by Antonello Venditti, is AS Roma’s historic anthem, while the title “I giardini di marzo” by Lucio Battisti is sung by Lazio Roma supporters after each victory.