Demolition Of Iconic San Siro Stadium Confirmed

AC Milan and Inter person finalised nan acquisition of their San Siro stadium and confirmed plans to demolish and switch it pinch a 71,500-capacity arena.

The demolition of San Siro, wide regarded arsenic 1 of nan world's astir prestigious shot stadiums, has been mooted for years arsenic its information has deteriorated complete time.

Now nan 2 clubs, who person shared nan stadium since 1947, person paid €197m (£173m) to nan metropolis assembly to return power of nan building and surrounding land, which they opportunity is simply a motion of "shared ambition for semipermanent success".

The caller stadium will person a capacity of astir 4,000 less seats than nan existent San Siro and will beryllium designed by firms operated by Sir Norman Foster and David Manica, who played important roles successful nan readying of nan caller Wembley Stadium.

BBC Sport has spoken to cardinal figures and finance experts successful bid to find whether nan move makes consciousness and find retired if it could thief 2 of Europe's astir celebrated clubs compete regularly against nan much able Premier League sides.

"For us, this a historical moment," says Milan president Paolo Scaroni. "It has taken 5 aliases six years to scope this constituent and we had awesome support from our owners RedBird.

"San Siro has been excluded by Uefa arsenic a stadium for Euro 2032 – it simply doesn't person each nan accommodation that are needed for modern football. We severely request a caller stadium.

"We person ever had a bully narration pinch Inter, truthful it makes consciousness to proceed sharing nan caller stadium and divided nan costs of building and moving it."

Though designs will only beryllium published successful nan first half of 2026 and nary completion day has been set, nan acquisition of nan stadium is simply a important measurement arsenic some clubs purpose to return to past glories.

In nan precocious 1990s and early 2000s, Serie A was nan world's pre-eminent shot league. Its clubs spent nan astir money, bought nan champion players and attracted nan attraction of fans astir nan globe.

But complete nan past 20 years, nan section has undergone a dependable decline. Its clubs' performances person dwindled astatine nan elite European level, mean attendances astatine stadiums person dropped importantly and moreover its astir illustrious teams are typically spending little each summertime than little and mid-table Premier League teams.

The semipermanent drop-off tin beryllium tracked by glancing astatine Milan and Inter's results successful nan Uefa Champions League since it was rebranded successful 1992.

Despite Inter reaching 2 finals successful caller years, they past won it successful 2010 and Milan astir precocious successful 2007, moreover though only Real Madrid person won nan title much times successful full than nan Rossoneri.

But what has been down those diminishing results?

Finance has played a cardinal role. There person been 12 changes of premier curate successful Italy since 2000 and its system has endured regular turmoil.

Milan and Inter person besides undergone a bid of destabilising ownership changes, some passing from Italian businessmen to Chinese ownership earlier being bought by respective American finance vehicles successful nan past fewer years.

"The governmental and financial crises that person deed Italy person weakened nan country's business cloth and nan ownership structures that made Serie A prestigious and successful," says Marco Bellinoza, business journalist astatine Il Sole 24 Ore.

"Economic and governmental weakness has impeded nan maturation of top-level football. Only pinch nan modulation to nan existent US ownership is nan translator from non-self-sufficient sports clubs to fully-fledged businesses taking place."

While TV authorities person generated tremendous broadcast revenues for Premier League sides, nan aforesaid income watercourse has lagged acold down successful Italy, mounting its clubs back.

"Serie A is €4bn (£3.5bn) down nan Premier League successful position of full cumulative gross for its clubs and that is principally down to nan broadcast contracts," explains Dan Plumley, athletics finance professor astatine Sheffield Hallam University.

"That's a spread you can't really drawback up, truthful they've sewage to look to turn gross successful different ways."

According to Uefa, Milan and Inter classed 13th and 14th respectively for gross earned by European clubs successful 2024. Each brought successful conscionable complete £350m, astir half arsenic overmuch arsenic nan likes of Manchester City and Manchester United, and only a fewer tens of cardinal much than Newcastle, Aston Villa and West Ham.

In nan 2020s truthful far, 12 Premier League clubs person spent much connected transfers than Milan and 14 person spent much than Inter.

"The full of Italian shot is lagging down nan Premier League - erstwhile location is simply a caller bully subordinate they thin to spell and play successful nan Premier League simply because they are amended paid," Scaroni adds.

Il Duomo mightiness beryllium Milan's astir celebrated tourer attraction but San Siro is simply a shot cathedral successful its ain right, steeped successful a period of history having played big to immoderate of nan astir celebrated players of all-time.

Previous reports of its demise person been met pinch anguish from players and fans astir nan world.

"Playing astatine San Siro is afloat of challenge, emotion and history", says Andriy Shevchenko, who won nan Ballon d'Or during nan 7 years he played for Milan.

"My narration pinch San Siro started erstwhile I was 14 and played a younker tourney location pinch Dynamo Kyiv. As soon arsenic I walked successful location I had a typical feeling.

"I emotion San Siro. The fans make nan stadium truthful special. But I deliberation this is simply a very important measurement for nan early of Milan and Italian football.

"The creation is going to beryllium very important because if you respect nan contented and bequest of San Siro and nan legends who played location to nan maximum, you're not going to suffer it. You tin do thing really affirmative because thing lasts forever."

Only 9 shot stadium infrastructure and renewal projects person been undertaken successful Italy successful nan past decade, according to information from PwC, compared to 24 successful nan Premier League, 19 successful nan German Bundesliga, 15 successful Spain's La Liga and 10 successful French Ligue 1.

That has near Italy pinch outdated matchday accommodation crossed nan state and mean attendances person dwindled to 81%, acold little than nan Premier League's 97%.

Milan is not conscionable a European manner superior but nan financial and business fulcrum of Italy, pinch astir awesome banks and companies headquartered successful nan city.

Scaroni estimates that nan task will costs astir €1.5bn (£1.3bn) and says astir 1 successful 7 tickets successful nan stadium will beryllium for firm hospitality, while location will beryllium a greater attraction connected hosting non-football events.

"Building a caller stadium is astir what they tin do pinch that stadium extracurricular of nan accepted lucifer time - business deals pinch different sports, putting connected concerts, turning nan stadium into a 365-day-a-year venue," Plumley says.

"Of people San Siro is iconic but for these 2 clubs, alteration simply has to happen."