Clubs’ plan to open new ground in 2031 has been met by local opposition but is required for hosts to stay competitive
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protester outside held a sign insisting “San Siro belongs to the citizens” but Milan’s city council was about to change all that, voting to sell one of the world’s most famous football stadiums to tenants who plan to tear it down. Milan have played home games at what is officially the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza since 1926. Inter moved in with them 21 years later. They propose to build a shared home on the same grounds.
It has been a long time coming. The clubs announced joint plans for a new stadium as long ago as June 2019, with an intention to complete work within three years. International architecture firms were consulted and designs made public, but they never progressed out of this first phase.
To build on their existing site, they would first need to own it. San Siro has belonged since 1935 to the Comune di Milano – the administrative body that manages the central municipality of Milan. The clubs’ attempt to negotiate a purchase six years ago were stalled by the Covid-19 pandemic, then by a combination of political opposition and laws governing the preservation of historic landmarks.
