The elegant Portuguese shouldering the weight of his grizzled opponent's elbow. Tranquillity amid the chaos as a pair of footballing rivals paused to ponder a hazy wall of red smoke and simmering flares. "Everyone was focused on the flares, on the smoke," photographer Stefano Rellandini, who captured that iconic image 21 years ago, tells BBC Sport.
"But near the centre of the pitch I saw a certain moment. "Materazzi was nicknamed something like a butcher; he is not really a gentle player. Rui Costa was the opposite - more gentle, more artistic in his football.
For several seconds Materazzi put his elbow on the shoulder of Rui Costa. "So when I saw that, I shot it. I have just one frame in that sequence.
That was the moment." With the latest installment of the Milan derby to be shown live on BBC Two and iPlayer on Saturday, kick-off, BBC Sport remembers the story of the fixture's most iconic image. Saturday, 31 October - live from The picture has its own legacy, but it also captured the end of AC Milan and Inter Milan's 2005 Champions League quarter-final that was abandoned after flares and other objects rained down on the San Siro turf from a section of Inter fans, one striking and injuring Milan goalkeeper Dida. With 73 minutes played of the second leg, the referee abandoned the match and the tie was later awarded to Milan, who were leading 3-0 on aggregate.
"The atmosphere that night was like every time you have an AC Milan and Inter derby at the San Siro," says Rellandini, who was working for at the time. They don't fight a lot, but the choreography of the supporters is huge and great, so you can really feel it, even if you're not a player. "When you put your feet on to the pitch, you can feel that it's not just a soccer match.
"You are really close to the players. It was a nice atmosphere; there was adrenaline. "It just blew up when they disallowed the goal from Esteban Cambiasso.
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