Milan slips on a nerazzurri lemon peel…yes it sounds funny and strange, but surely the unheard of event at the Milan derby took place during the 1957/1958 season. It was October 6, 1957 and Inter was leading 1-0 after a penalty scored by Vincenzi. The foul was committed by defender Luigi Zannier on Benito Lorenzi. But about ten minutes later the referee, Concetto Lo Bello (father of Rosario, also a referee in the eighties and nineties) gave punishment to Lorenzi for a foul that was committed on Milan’s Pepe Schiaffino). Readying for the penalty’s execution was the South American Cucchiaroni, meanwhile the interista were protesting, and Lorenzi was also disputing the decision. His protest was quite original but at the same time just as subtle.
While all nerazzurri were around the referee in protest, Lorenzi approached the bench to rehydrate. However, he didn’t reach for water, but rather a slice of lemon. After eating it, he kept the peel hidden in his hand. But where would he throw it? While taking advantage of the commotion on the field Lorenzi approached the penalty mark, and pretended to tie his shoes, but instead placed the peel under the ball. At that point referee Lo Bello, managed to calm everyone down so that the kick can be executed, but Cucchiaroni missed his shot. The rossoneri became furious and continued the attack while hitting the posts with three misses and to no avail. Cucchiaroni was then consoled by Inter’s Bicicli (the same guy who a few years later would provoke Dino Sani during another derby causing him to be ejected from the game). This gross error triggered a huge uproar in the exit underpass, in which Lorenzi was sought with shouts of “dead or alive” by Milan tifosi.
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