Inter Milan’s squad that traveled to Mönchengladbach didn’t get much sleep Monday night and Tuesday morning. A group of Gladbach goons can be thanked for that after they launched fireworks and other pyrotechnics at 4 a.m. outside the hotel where the Milan players were staying.
Around 4 o'clock in the morning, Borussia Monchengladbach fans gathered in front of the hotel where Inter's squad is staying and began to light up the area with a series of fireworks.
10/10 sh*thousing pic.twitter.com/5QMjojooyD— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) December 1, 2020
A pile of coke cans and a banner was left outside the hotel. The message to the Inter players read: “Remember Inter: Things go better with Coke!”
This devious move wasn’t some random prank to pull on a visiting team. This was revenge for an incident that happened between Gladbach and Inter 49 years ago. The infamous Coca-Cola can game.
On Oct. 20, 1971, Gladbach hosted Inter in an infamous European Cup game that would be erased from the records. Officially, a full 90 minutes was played but the result was ditched after a Coca-Cola can struck Inter’s Roberto Boninsegna in the head in the 29th minute. Unofficially, Gladbach put on a legendary performance and embarrassed the Italians 7-1.
The tremendous 7-1 first leg victory for Gladbach was scratched and ordered to be replayed. Inter would win the next game in Milan 4-2 and then draw 0-0 at a neutral location for the replay.
Any Gladbach fan or player on that fateful day in Oct. 1971 will tell you that Boninsegna did an incredible acting job of pretending to be knocked unconscious from the Coke can and was taken to the locker room.
The sting from 49 years ago is still felt today from Gladbach fans. Fans got a small speck of revenge with their unrequested firework show.
Romelu Lukaku, Lautaro Martinez and the rest of Inter’s squad must have been scratching their heads as none of them were even alive for the Coca-Cola can game.
Inter will need to get a result against Gladbach or else the Italian club won’t be advancing to the Round of 16. The game kicks off at 3 p.m. EST on Tuesday and will be aired on CBS All Access.
