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Italian Serie A football clubs AC Milan and Inter Milan are seemingly set to pursue separate stadium projects, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, following developments arising from a meeting that discussed the future of their current home, Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
The newspaper said a meeting has been held at Palazzo Marino, the home of the Municipality of Milan, between representatives of the two clubs, the “Referendum X San Siro” Committee and the Board of Trustees of the Municipality.
At the meeting, despite apparent pressure from Milan and Inter, the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape, a body chaired by Emanuela Carpani, is said to have confirmed that it will not lift protected status from the stadium that is better known as the San Siro.
This relates to the stadium’s second tier and towers, which were built in 1955 and under historical constraints related to public-owned property are due to be afforded protected status after 70 years, therefore in 2025.
This appears to end the possibility of the Meazza being demolished to make way for a new stadium, while the two clubs are believed to be adamant that they would not look to pursue a major renovation scheme in a similar vein to the projects currently being undertaken by Real Madrid and FC Barcelona for the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu and Spotify Camp Nou, respectively.
Earlier this month, the clubs sent a letter to the Municipality of Milan requesting more time and greater clarity on plans for the Meazza as the teams consider their own separate projects.
Mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, revealed that the city asked the two clubs for an update on the economic and financial plan relating to the joint stadium project following the conclusion of a public debate process in mid-April.
The clubs sent a joint letter to the city requesting an extension to the deadline for reviewing the project dossier, and clarification on any constraints on the existing Meazza and on the hypothesis of a public referendum.
Inter and Milan have been working on the joint Nuovo Stadio Milan project, but ongoing delays concerning this venture have prompted both to reassess their options. The new joint stadium is intended to be built on the same plot of land occupied by the two clubs’ current home.
The Gazzetta said the latest developments mean that the pursuit of separate stadium projects away from the San Siro district now appears to be the most likely solution.
In March, AC Milan confirmed Ippodromo Snai La Maura, an equestrian and horse racing facility located close to the Meazza, as its targeted site for a new stadium. It came after the club had set out its commitment to build the “most beautiful, modern and functional stadium in the world”, citing Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as an inspiration.
AC Milan has also reportedly appointed the CAA Icon agency to support its efforts to build a new stadium without cross-city rival Inter. News of the club’s intention to split from Inter and pursue its own stadium was first reported in February.
While the La Maura option has now floundered on the back of political and environmental opposition, Sesto San Giovanni, San Donato and Rozzano-Assago are now said to be the main target areas for Milan. Inter, meanwhile, is said to be looking at land located on the border between Assago and Rozzano.
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