AC Milan and Inter have teamed up with DAZN to stage the first ever virtual Derby della Madonnina on Pro Evolution Soccer, with the one-off event set to kick off on Friday afternoon.
With the football season currently on hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, two of the biggest clubs in Italy have come up with a new way to engage with fans who are likely to be missing the weekly buzz of top-flight Serie A action.
Milan have organised the upcoming virtual derby as part of a series of initiatives to unite all fans during the ongoing fight against Covid-19, which has caused 18,279 deaths in Italy to date.
The Rossoneri have invited the public to contribute to their ongoing fundraising campaign in partnership with the Fondazione Milan, which has already raised over €600,000 for those working on the frontlines to treat those affected by the illness.
The game will be staged on April 11 at 11:30am BST (6:30am ET) with Portuguese striker Rafael Leao set to be on the controls for Milan against his Inter counterpart Sebastiano Esposito.
20-year-old Rossoneri frontman Leao said ahead of the matchup: “We can’t physically be on a football pitch right now, so it will be quite fun to represent my team and play against Sebastiano [Esposito] on PES.
"This is a derby after all and I want to win, but most importantly this is a way to be a little closer to our fans in these difficult times.”
DAZN commentator Stefano Borghi will be providing expert commentary on the match, while sports reporter Diletta Leotta will be serving as host and covering interviews with the two players after the final whistle.
Fans will be able to tune in to watch the match on AC Milan’s official app, or via the Club’s Facebook and YouTube channels, with the option to access the content through TV subscription-based channel Milan TV also available.