A Portuguese artist and an Italian enforcer standing side by side, momentarily still amid a storm of red smoke and flickering flares. That image — captured by Reuters photographer Stefano Rellandini during the abandoned 2005 UEFA Champions League quarter-final between AC Milan and Inter Milan — has endured as one of football's most powerful photographs.

The moment Rellandini pressed the shutter

"Everyone was focused on the flares, on the smoke," Rellandini tells BBC Sport. "But near the centre of the pitch I saw a certain moment."

The two men in the frame could hardly have been more different. Marco Materazzi — nicknamed something close to a butcher for his combative style — had draped his elbow casually over the shoulder of Rui Costa, the elegant, artistic Portuguese midfielder. For several seconds the pair simply stood there, gazing into the haze.

"So when I saw that, I shot it. I have just one frame in that sequence. That was the moment." — Stefano Rellandini

With the latest Milan derby set to be broadcast live on BBC Two and iPlayer, BBC Sport revisits the night that produced that unforgettable image.

A quarter-final that ended in chaos

The photograph also marks the end of one of the most dramatic nights in derby history. With 73 minutes played in the second leg at the San Siro, referee Markus Merk abandoned the match after flares and other objects rained down from a section of Inter supporters in the Curva Nord. One flare struck Milan goalkeeper Dida on the shoulder, inflicting first-degree burns and narrowly missing his head.

Milan were leading 3-0 on aggregate at the time. The tie was subsequently awarded to them by UEFA.

"The atmosphere that night was like every time you have an AC Milan and Inter derby at the San Siro," says Rellandini. "It is always strong. When you put your feet on to the pitch, you can feel that it's not just a soccer match. It is something more."

The tension that had been building

The rivalry entering that April evening carried the weight of years of accumulated frustration. Milan had eliminated Inter on away goals two seasons earlier in the Champions League semi-finals, and had since claimed a Scudetto — their sixth since Inter last won Serie A in 1988-89.

Under owner Silvio Berlusconi, manager Carlo Ancelotti had assembled a formidable side: Cafu, Jaap Stam, Alessandro Nesta, and Paolo Maldini across the back; Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf, Massimo Ambrosini, and Kaka in midfield; Hernan Crespo and Andriy Shevchenko up front. Rui Costa was among the substitutes.

Inter, for their part, had invested heavily. Chairman Massimo Moratti had broken the world transfer record twice in three years — signing Ronaldo from Barcelona in 1997, then Christian Vieri from Lazio in 1999. Yet silverware had proved elusive. Their midfield in 2005 revolved around Esteban Cambiasso and Juan Sebastian Veron, with the explosive Adriano providing the attacking threat.

Among Inter supporters, a deeper grievance simmered. Between them, Milan and Juventus had won 11 of the previous 13 league titles. Rumours of corruption were already circulating in the stands — criminal investigations into alleged bribery had begun in Naples and Turin — and the sense of an uneven playing field was acute. The Calciopoli scandal would eventually emerge in 2006, resulting in Juventus's relegation to Serie B and points deductions for Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio, and Reggina.

The flashpoint

Shevchenko opened the scoring in the second leg with a left-footed strike from outside the box, beating Francesco Toldo. The flashpoint arrived with under 20 minutes remaining, when Cambiasso headed home from Veron's corner, only to have the goal disallowed — Cruz was adjudged to have fouled Dida in what appeared to be minimal contact.

The Curva Nord erupted. Flares cascaded on to the San Siro turf like flaming arrows. Maldini, Cambiasso, and Inter captain Javier Zanetti pleaded with Merk; Zanetti and Veron even assisted firefighters clearing debris from the goalmouth. Eventually, both teams retreated to the tunnel.

"It just blew up," Rellandini recalls. "The Inter Milan supporters were freaking out. They started throwing down objects, flares, and did not stop for about 15 or 20 minutes. It was something like a war."

When the players returned, Dida was replaced by Christian Abbiati, but within 30 seconds Merk abandoned the fixture for good. It was in that brief, eerie pause between storms that Rellandini pressed his shutter — and captured beauty standing quietly beside the brawn.