The two traditional clubs have come significantly closer to their dream of a new arena.
The traditional Milan clubs AC and Inter have taken a crucial step closer to their dream of a new football arena. On Wednesday, the two heavyweights of the Italian Serie A announced the purchase of the legendary San Siro stadium, which is to be demolished and replaced by a new building on the same site.
“The construction of the new stadium and the stadium renewal project for the San Siro district represents a new chapter for the city of Milan and both clubs,” the rivals wrote in a statement. This strategic milestone reflects the joint desire of Inter and AC Milan “for long-term sporting success and value-enhancing investments to support the sustainable growth of the clubs.”
At the end of September, the Milan City Council approved the sale of the stadium to the clubs. This was preceded by an eleven-hour debate with 239 amendments. AC and Inter are paying 197 million euros for the total area of 28 hectares, which also includes the adjacent parking spaces.
The sale had to be completed by next Monday, otherwise a public monument protection ordinance for the second floor of the San Siro would have come into force. Now the two clubs can push ahead with a project worth 1.2 billion euros. The new arena, which both clubs want to share again, will offer space for 71,500 fans and should be completed in 2031.
The football temple, officially known as the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, in which Germany played five of seven games in the 1990 World Cup triumph, is the largest stadium in Italy with 75,000 seats. However, the arena, which opened in 1926 and has been renovated several times since then, no longer meets the requirements of the spectators and the clubs, who want to increase their income from stadium operations.
On its 100th birthday in February, the stadium will host the opening ceremony of the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina (February 6 to 22, 2026). Milan is firmly planned as a venue for the 2032 European Football Championship in Turkey and Italy.
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