Snake pattern on Inter Milan jerseys. What does it mean?

Some Inter Milan fans have criticised Nike for the design of the new season’s jerseys. According to them, it is a violation of tradition, as the jersey is not classically striped. That may be true, but the snake is closely linked to the history of this club and, in fact, the whole city of Milan.

The look of the snakeskin has been created with pixelated stripes that combine two different tones of blue, royal and navy, with black. This detail is meant to be a celebration of Milan’s symbol, the Biscione snake.

Biscione is a heraldic animal (a giant snake) that is depicted in the emblem of the city of Milan, the Duchy of Milan and, in fact, the whole of Lombardy. From there, it has made its way into Inter’s coat of arms. It is supposed to be a representation of respect for Italian traditions. In fact, the opposition AC was co-founded by the English, then as a football and cricket club.

The snake itself is supposed to symbolise perseverance, patience and reflection. It first appeared in Inter’s coat of arms in 1928, but its greatest role was from 1979 to 1990. At that time, the club dropped the usual FCIM circle, which was replaced by a shield and a snake on it.

If you’re an Inter fan, you don’t like these jerseys, and you think you’ll get a break from the snake at least during away games, we have to disappoint you.

Anyway, this design is a throwback to history. Players like Eto’o, Sneijder and captain Zanetti wore a similar jersey in the 2010-2011 season.

Source: Wikipedia, Twitter